Two-Faced
by The Brahmin
Summary: It hurts to be kicked off a sports team. When Lynn is framed for doing something forbidden, the nasty punishments she faces hit her hard. But after making an infuriating discovery, she realizes one of her siblings are also having troubles.
1. Feel for Revenge

**Author's Note:** Hey readers. The Loud House is a show that has an extremely high potential for all genres. That being said, I've created multiple ideas of my own, including considering some I've received in PMs. I started drafting this story a few days ago. Hope you like it.

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own anything from Nickelodeon. No copyright infringement intended.**

 **Feel for Revenge**

* * *

 _I got this. Grab the ball from the center, cut through the right end and linebacker, avoid the corner and I'm good._ Lynn Loud assured herself. It was the biggest game of the season, and she so happened to be standing in the brightest part of the field. The entire Royal Woods middle-high school body cheered loudly for their team. Being the quarterback and knowing there was under a minute left, it was up to her to bring her team out of their 2-point deficit.

Acquiring the ball from the center, she evaded a opposing linebacker by executing a 360 spin. She loved having the ball, no matter what the sport was. She felt most important during moments like these. The speed she felt, the adrenaline and motivation moving her as she cut passed the other team's defenders. She knew she practiced day and night for games like these, but she still surprised herself when showing off her skills. Although the touchdown zone was in sight, she was cognizant of two girls almost double her size approaching her with great speed. With cat-like instincts, she threw it to her teammate Margo.

Lynn was on the ground for a second before she got back on her feet and continued running. Being the fastest on the team, she knew it was all up to her to score the touchdown they needed. On Margo's end, she knew time was running out. Knowing she wouldn't score the points they desperately needed in time, she saw someone she could throw it to, someone a good distance away. As three defenders approached her, in a nick of time, she threw it with all her might. Surely with the force exerted behind the throw, it would land in the touchdown zone. However, it wouldn't matter, unless someone was there to receive it. The crowd went wild as it was Lynn Loud that leaped to make a one-handed catch.

Landing on her back, she became surrounded by her teammates, each and every one of them chanting her name. Her eyes were wide as saucers. Now having a four point lead with two seconds left on the clock, it was a sure win.

The pleasurable feeling of victory was something she enjoyed more than anything in the world. Her hard work paid off. She was undeniably the player of the game.

Nothing could ruin this day.

Margo hugged her. "Lynn... that catch was unbelievable!"

Lynn's smile defined the mood of the whole moment. "I guess it _was_ pretty good, but that perfect spiral you threw was the reason why we won. We stuck together til the end, defying all odds." She responded as the two chest bumped.

"You kidding? You were awesome!"

"That was something out of a movie!"

"Not to mention that was your third touchdown!"

"You're the best, Lynn."

That last comment made her blush. She couldn't define her feeling, but euphoria would be understatement.

 _Yep. I am the best._

After acknowledging the fans and posing in group photos, the girls hit the showers and changed into clean clothes. Their faces brightened the locker room as Lynn was the last one to exit. Their coach joined them as everyone gave each other high fives.

"Everyone." The coach smiled. "I just want to say how grateful I am to have a group of girls like you. You kept your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground. You played hard. Keep it up, and we can win our final game!"

The girls shouted their team name when one of them spoke up.

"What about Lynn? After all, she is our MVP." A brunette stated. She was just a couple inches over Lynn in height.

This sparked more excitement in the group as the coach frowned at the 13-year old. Lynn noticed this, but no one else did.

"Yes, Lynn. I need to have a word with you." He responded before heading towards his office.

She received multiple pats on the back as she began to follow him.

"Go get 'em Lynn!" Margo slapped her ass.

"Yeah..."

A couple girls left as the rest waited for her outside. She walked down a hallway which had many plaques on the walls, including an empty trophy case. It was their year, she thought.

"Lynn, please take a seat."

Slightly baffled but still feeling gleeful, she sat in an office chair that was adjacent to the coach's desk. He tapped a pencil against his desk with a rather stern look etched on his face.

"What's up coach?" She asked with a skeptical smile. She wondered if he had a surprise for her great performance, such as being promoted to team captain.

She couldn't be more wrong.

"You did what was expected of you, you did good." His eyes didn't say the same thing.

"Sure."

"Well, you're probably wondering why I called you here."

"To up my game? Because I can do way more than a simple catch."

"Lynn-"

"I'll be on the field to practice first thing tomorrow morning."

"Don't."

Lynn raised a brow. "What did he mean?"

The coach gave a sigh. "As you know, there are always weekly checks of lockers."

"Mhm."

What the athlete wasn't expecting was to see him take a bag out of his desk. Written across it was the word "confiscated". She could see bottles of pills inside, including a needle with some type of fluid inside. To say the least, she was caught off guard.

"Recognize these?"

Lynn raised her eyebrows. "No."

The coach starred at the empty trophy case. He wished it would one day be at the front lobby of the school.

"Lynn.. these were in your locker."

Her heart dropped to her stomach. The last thing a girl with her athletic abilities would want is to be in a situation like this. She knew the risks of taking performance enhancement drugs. She would never do such a thing.

"T-That's impossible." She grabbed the bag from his hand. While analyzing the content inside, she noticed her name written on the labels.

She had no issues with any of the athletes on her team, but it became apparent that someone hated her guts. This ate her alive as she couldn't believe something like this could be done.

It was a moment she imagined in her nightmares.

"Coach, I promise you. I would _never_ use drugs to better my game. You can ask my siblings! The furthest I'm ever willing to go are sports bars. Sports bars!" She pleaded, nearly on one knee.

"I don't know, Lynn. Your brother Lincoln once gave me bad advice on picking up women."

"What does that have to do with anything?!"

Coach Pakowski leaned in and looked into Lynn's troubled eyes. Her face was red with worry and anger.

"Why Lynn, why would you do this? Be honest with me."

"I'm not lying Coach Pakowski."

He slowly took off his hat. "Lynn.. I don't know how to tell you this.."

Lynn sat while looking down. The thought of losing the opportunity to win a championship for her team, to not be part of something amazing, was simply too much to handle.

"You can't do this, sir. Please..."

"I'm going to leave this room for ten minutes. It'll be enough time for you to clean out your locker. Don't forget to leave your jersey on my desk."

He stood from his chair with a clipboard and the drug bag in his hand as he headed for the doorway when he felt her hand grip his arm.

"Coach, you have no idea how badly I need this. Football is one of my favorite sports, and it's been years since I've won my last championship. My parents would probably destroy me if they ever thought I was a cheater..."

Deep down inside, she knew she wasn't. It was something her coach also believed.

"Coach, you know me."

It took herculean effort to give up his best player.

His favorite player.

"You're off the team, Lynn. Good luck out there."

She watched the burly man walk down the hall and stare at the trophy case. With a deep look of stress, he shook his head and wrote something on his clipboard.

She was sure it was a roster sheet. She was even more certain it was her name being scratched out.

* * *

That day took a nosedive like a plane going down. She looked at her empty locker while holding two heavily packed duffel bags, including a jersey with a "1" slung over her shoulder. At the speed of molasses, she dragged down the hall to his office. The ten minutes wasn't up yet. She had a moment to say goodbye to the fond memories.

Dropping the baggage next to her, she starred at her jersey. The red jersey with her last name in bold lettering on the back was something she would miss dearly. She never envisioned sports being taken away from her. More than anything, she never imagined losing her beloved friends as teammates.

"Goodbye for now, old friend." She kissed the uniform and laid it across his desk.

 _I'll find out who did this. They'll wish they were never born._

The aforementioned teammates stood in a happy cluster when they saw Lynn exit the school. They expected nothing but good news from her. While shouting her name, they noticed her facial expression as she got closer, including the baggage she carried.

"Lynn! What did the coach..."

Margo knew her friend well. Something was wrong.

"What happened Lynn?"

The 13-year old walked passed them, not having the strength to look them in the eyes. It would break their hearts if they knew what happened. Eventually, they would.

"Lynn, what's up with you?"

"What did coach say to you back there?"

"Please. Just leave me alone."

The rest of the girls lowered their voices and talked among one another. However, Margo went to catch up to her.

"Lynn? Lynn!" She grabbed her shoulder to stop her. All she could see were watery eyes and a face red as a Bulls jersey. She hugged her tightly.

"Lynn.. tell me."

"I-I can't."

"Did he _do_ something to you?"

"Margo, I can't tell you."

"Lynn-"

"I'm sorry!" She bolted away from her friend at nearly the same speed she did when making that game winning catch. Despite holding over 30 pounds of stuff, Margo knew she couldn't catch her.

Running for a good minute, she stopped when a packed bus stop was in sight. She didn't want to be seen. Not only would most of them recognize her, being that the school had a jumbotron, but she also wasn't presentable at the moment. She waited for the bus stop to clear before she waited for the next one to arrive. It gave her enough time to stop crying.

* * *

Being traded was one thing, but being kicked off a team? That included not being allowed to attend the next game as a fan. These thoughts hurt to the bone as she arrived to the front door of the house. It was no longer visible that she had shed tears, but the entire town knew about the victory. Knowing her personality, her family would expect her to come flying into the house, smiling ear to ear.

She had to do something she never had done before: Pretend to be happy about a victory.

As she entered, the rest of the family was up to their usual antics. Lola and Lana were chasing each other while arguing about something trivial. Same with Lori and Leni. Lucy was reading a book while Luna strummed on a acoustic and Luan told puns to a rather busy Lisa at the living room couch. Lastly, Lily was in their parents bedroom being attended to.

 _Good, maybe no one will see me._

In an instant, she speed-walked passed the large group and made her way up the stairs. Going unnoticed and reaching the second floor, she dropped her bags to the floor. She was about to enter her bedroom and go into deep thought about what to do next when she turned to the right and saw Lincoln's bedroom door open.

She raised a brow when noticing he sat in the doorway with his head in his arms. Around this time, he usually read his comics in his undies, but sitting down and looking depressed like Lucy?

The crestfallen athlete approached her brother. After saying his name, he looked up. Sadness was written all over his face.

"Oh, hey Lynn. Heard your game went well." He mumbled before lowering his head again.

Lynn looked down the hall at her sports equipment, then back at her brother.

"Why are you sitting in the doorway like that? Your friend Clyde couldn't come over or something?"

He remained silent when Lynn noticed something odd. For some reason, the boy kept rubbing his left shoulder. Was he stiff or something?

He also wore a long sleeve shirt she never saw before. She lowered herself to his level.

"Lincoln, let me see your shoulder."

"Why? I'm alright, Lynn." He responded with a stutter while moving his arm. "Ow!"

She helped him stand up before quickly pulling the sleeve up. What she laid eyes on surprised her enormously.

Multiple large bruises were present all over his left shoulder. The swelling was apparent and the poor kid was in pain. Having experience in martial arts, she knew a fierce beating was the only explanation.

She demanded an answer. "Lincoln, who did this to you? Tell me their name! Give me their description!"

Lincoln gulped.

Who would hurt my only brother? Who would want to hurt me the way they did? Those two questions alone was enough to make her go on a livid rampage.

Vengeance boiled inside her. She didn't have an answer to either of those plaguing questions, but she'd figure out something soon enough.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Keeping this chapter short is just a way to break ground, but there's more on the way. Let me know what you think.


	2. A Cruel World

**Author's Note:** First off, I thank everyone for the reviews and the flood of likes and favorites. I'm a little startled at the outcome of this, but the positive feedback motivates me to continue. Because you guys are eager, I plan to makes these chapters a little longer.

Now, let's see what problem Lincoln is having.

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 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own anything from Nickelodeon. No copyright infringement intended.**

 **A Cruel World**

* * *

Lincoln stood against the door frame in sorrow before lying on his bed, his shoulder raised to his head with a hand carefully planted on the bruising. Sadness swarmed the room as Lynn sat next to him. She caught on to his emotion state, so she tried her best to control and conceal her anger.

"I'll-" Lynn turned off her heavy breathing. The smoke that rose from her ears disappeared. "I'll wait."

Lynn wasn't used to being the "comforting type", but her brother appeared to be having a worse day than her. Someone hurt him bad, and she wasn't having that. She placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Careful! It..it really hurts." Lincoln whimpered.

"Talk to me."

Lincoln sniffed. "Promise you won't tell anyone?"

"Depends on how bad it is." She replied sternly.

Lincoln frowned.

"I promise." She fondly placed a hand on his back. "Who did this to you?"

He sighed.

"When I used to go to school, no matter wherever I was in the building, I always had a few friends and acquaintances to speak with. Not many, but I was never outcasted."

Lynn nodded, unconsciously showing her lack of patience.

"Until recently. I don't know what I did or if I accidentally offended someone, but these kids started harassing me."

A look of anger came over Lynn's face.

"It was yesterday when I had my entire head shoved in my locker while looking for books. Since I was a couple minutes late to class, I figured I was the only in the hallway. They thought it would be funny if they threw me to the ground and played dodge ball with my textbooks..." Lincoln sighed. "I pleaded for them to stop, but they only found that more amusing. One of them kicked me in my shoulder repeatedly, while another kept shouting harsh names."

He touched his shoulder again. "These kids..I never did anything to them before, and they only aim at me, nobody else."

Lynn's attempt to remain calm barely lasted a minute before she stood from the bed, her fists clenched as she imagined herself delivering the perfect beating to these people.

"Clearly these maggots haven't met me!" She wasn't expecting him to begin shedding tears. She immediately sat back down. She knew how it felt to cry, how necessary it was.

"Eventually, those I thought were friends separated themselves from me. I just..I hate trying to prove myself to others that I belong. I'm trying to fix something that I can't change."

"Who. Are. They?" Lynn nearly grunted.

"The moments they do these things to me.." Lincoln touched his ribs, which also showed it's bruising. "It happen so fast, I-I barely catch their faces, but they're bigger and older."

"When did this start?"

"I-I think.." Lincoln thought while wiping his eyes.

"C'mon, Lincoln!"

"Around the time I lost that peewee football game for everyone. I'm sorry."

Why couldn't people just leave Lincoln alone? Sure, he stood out because of his abnormal color of hair and his small size, but he was a sweet and honest kid. He wasn't as masculine as Lynn wished he was, but after all, he hadn't entered his teens yet. She was tired of insecure and asinine people overpowering others to make themselves feel better about their sorry lives.

"Don't be." She hugged him before exiting. Lincoln didn't want the entire family worried about his problem, and for good reason. Does the time Ronnie Anne punching him in the face ring a bell? He didn't want them worried. Though, despite her rough lifestyle, Lynn was his protector. A feeling of reassurance came over him as he tried to ignore the pain in his arms and torso.

However, one thing worried him.

After a big victory, Lynn would always go on and on about it. She'd also wear her jersey and a smile with pride.

It was the first time in years Lincoln saw her without it.

* * *

Lynn woke that morning hoping it was all bad dream. However, after a quick look around, the realization hit her hard. Something Lynn loved to do was taken from her without warning. Slowly washing her face and picking at her breakfast, the emotions she felt that day began to come back. The very thought of someone crossing her gave her a sense of loathing. As far as she was concerned, she was friendly with everyone on the team. It all happened so fast, but she knew she couldn't let it go.

She could only imagine the way her parents would feel about the whole situation. Her legs still felt as if they were underwater. The entire car ride to school, which she was dreading, most her siblings looked at her in question. They wanted to know why a girl with so much energy and high self-esteem looked so down after such a startling victory. They wouldn't be proud to hear about what happened, and her parents would probably give her a grounding she wouldn't forget.

All because someone had a deep hatred for her.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the worst of her pain. The words of her brother gave her a feeling of regret and failure. While she was in her game, her brother could've needed help and she wasn't around to defend him. Lincoln convinced her mother to stay home, and Lynn believed she let him down.

It was another ordinary school day for the middle and high school students of Royal Woods. Lynn exited Vanzilla with her sisters before it sped off. They all entered the building, Lynn unaware of her sisters giving her quick glances. They knew each other well. Sensing something was up, Lori tapped her on the shoulder as the rest of her sisters surrounded her with concerned gazes.

"Lynn, we really need to ask. Is something, by any chance, going on with you?"

The 13-year old took a deep breath, unconsciously looking away. She expected this would happen.

"Nope. Why do you ask?"

"You know why."

Lynn gulped.

"We all congratulated you about the righteous win during dinner, but you barely said a word about it." Luna stated.

"And you literally twerk on the table when you beat us at board games. We thought this would be huge for you."

"It-" Lynn sighed. "It is, but-"

"But what?" Luan interrupted.

"Well, don't worry about me. Lincoln is having some issues and-"

Lori raised a brow. "Lincoln's having issues?"

"He did stay home today, but he wasn't sick, and his attendance is almost always, like, perfect." Leni added.

"What issues is he having?"

Lynn was about to break her promise to her brother when the early bell rang louder than a nuclear alarm. Something had to be done about that deafening bell. After the students angrily and urgently closed their lockers, the intercom came on.

"Sorry girls, can't talk now." Lynn responded before turning the corner. Lori's initial response was to stop her, but after seeing Bobby, her attention took a U-turn. The rest, however, shrugged and went their own separate ways.

Lynn's mouth almost got her in trouble with her brother. She already felt bad, but she would've had a real reason to if Lincoln stopped trusting her with confidential information. As she fished for her dumb Algebra textbook, she thought about how more help from her sisters would be better for the middle child. However, an anger-inducing thought crossed her mind as she looked down. Whoever was hurting her brother, those bullies he described. She didn't want them to get off or just be yelled at by Lori.

Whoever they were, they deserved a punishment from Lynn-sanity: One they'd never forget.

* * *

Around noon, Lincoln Loud remained in some ice packs to ease his bruising as he obliterated opponents in Super Mega Brawlers Turbo Fighter 24. No doubt, he enjoyed playing games. Just like writing or reading, it allowed his mind to drift away from reality and not focus on the stresses in his life. Unlike at school, the atmosphere felt tranquil as he let out a happy whoop after passing a difficult level.

Looking down at his red thumbs, he decided to put the console on rest mode and grab a snack. Lily was at daycare and both parents were out making a living, so he had the entire house to himself. He was glad he got to stay home. He knew he'd probably miss homework assignments, but he couldn't bare to face more trouble or the possibly another beating. Earlier that day, he texted Clyde a couple times, but received no response. This was the case throughout the past few days, but he thought little of it. It felt good to confide in Lynn, as he was sure she wouldn't mention a word of it to anyone else.

While responding to a craving for some food, he looked out the window to notice someone approaching the house. Slowly climbing out of a dining room chair, he opened the door to see the neighborhood mailman stop at Mr. Grouse's house. The block was quiet around this time of day as the sun gleamed on parked cars. Acting as if he was hiding from police, he peered both ways before feeling it was safe to exit the house. He opened the mailbox.

"Junk mail, bills, junk mail, another love note for Luna, bills, tax refund...this should be nice.." He mumbled before something caught his attention.

In his periphery, he noticed a boy at the end of the street wearing a stripped polo with a small fro and black adidas, something out of Family Matters. He gasped before making his way down the block.

Clyde was enjoying an afternoon walk after an appointment with Dr. Lopez. Well, he at least tried to be happy after hearing another repeat of "Lori isn't interested" and "Just let it go, you're too young." He jumped while removing his headphones when he felt a hand grab his shoulder.

"Sorry, didn't see you had you earbuds in."

"L-Lincoln? What are you doing here?"

He walked his friend back towards the sidewalk.

"I thought I'd take the day off, it couldn't hurt. What's up?"

Clyde couldn't keep eye-contact as he consistently looked around, nervousness etched on his face.

"Clyde. You're on Franklin Avenue..in Royal Woods."

"Yeah, I know that." Clyde looked around again, which began to bug Lincoln. He noticed him take a step back.

"Listen, I gotta go, but we can catch up later."

Lincoln grabbed his friend's arm to stop him.

"What is it, Clyde."

"Oh, y-you know, m-my dads have..a curfew for me, that's it, a curfew for me."

"Buddy, it's noon. You've been acting pretty strange lately, mind telling me _why?"_

Clyde scratched his head trying to come up with a worthy response as Lincoln starred at him. While accessing his friend, he thought about how the kids at his school treated him differently. Ever since he became a target for bullies, especially for older kids, those in his class and in the hallways would try to avoid him, as if he had the cheese touch. Last time he checked, he was somewhat of a popular kid after they got to know Lisa and his fan comics. Some kids would stand up to bullying, but there were no signs of that in his school.

His school life began to suck because of this, and it hurt like hell. Though, through thick and thin, Clyde was always there for him. He helped him when he thought he had post-breakup blues. He also helped when he needed a cool, new bike. Lincoln also returned the favors by helping him learn how to be a good sibling, somewhat. However, things didn't quite seem the same. It was almost as if Clyde didn't want to be seen with him anymore...

Was Clyde seriously avoiding Lincoln?

"I-I just gotta go, but we can play some online games later."

"Oh really. On the same online server, or on the same online server while at the same house?" Lincoln glared at him.

"Well, when I say later, I mean night and it's not safe to travel so late, so-"

Lincoln couldn't believe this. This kid shook with fear, as if one of the people Lincoln was being harassed by was going to also target him if they were seen together. To say the least, he turned red.

"You know what, Clyde? Just go home."

"Buddy?"

"Don't "buddy" me. You're just like the rest of them. I could really use a friend right now, just _one_ , but apparently, you only care about yourself."

"That's not true, Lincoln-"

"You don't care if I get beat up everyday, as long as nothing happens to you, it's all good. I just wish I'd seen it sooner."

"Well," Clyde felt shocked and flustered. "Don't you have your sisters to baby you?"

Lincoln stood in shock before he balled up his fists. He tried not to show any real emotion in front of him.

"Sorry! I didn't mean that, I-"

"It must've felt good to get that off your chest after so many years."

"Wait!"

"Goodbye Clyde. Hope you don't miss curfew."

Clyde starred at Lincoln speed walking to his house. He didn't know what to do next. Follow him? He could've, but instead rejected the idea before crossing the street.

With tears beginning to burn his eyes, Lincoln slammed his door. He slid down to the floor against it before sobbing into his arms. The atmosphere became sorrowful quick. His best friend turned out to be someone who just didn't give a damn when the time came to reveal his true colors. What was he going to do now? The memories of them having good times together only made the waterworks continue. A cruel world is what he lives in, and having a friend that won't fight with you til the end shined light on that.

* * *

Lynn didn't expect the day to go by fast. Granted, lunch time hadn't arrived yet and she already found herself wanting to leave. She was known as one to avoid when angry, and that's what was going on. Her only reason for attending school was to figure out two things: Who crossed her and who dared to lay a hand on her brother.

The athlete had been keeping a close eye on everyone, monitoring how others were behaving since the football game. Some were relatively happy, as it was the school's first time advancing to the finals. Throughout the first couple periods of class, many congratulated her over the victory, but they immediately stopped after realizing the look of anger and despondency she carried with her. They were confused, but it wasn't any of their business why she was acting that way. Because Lynn was called non-stop the night before, Margo was the only one aware of the dreadful football roster change.

When English class was about to end, she sat in deep thought at the back of the room with her head down, like most students. She raised her head with a look of irritation when a person in front of her tapped her head. The kid then pointed to the teacher at the front of the class, but Lynn couldn't ignore the look of disgust on the kid's face. People knew to avoid her when she looked sour, and it certainly wasn't the day to start something. She didn't need anymore trouble.

"Lynn Jr, mind answering the class question for us?"

She apathetically looked at the teacher before lowering her head a second time. She didn't care for english, math, or any of that boring stuff. It was only Phys Ed and sports practice that mattered to her. Her grades weren't the best, but with Lincoln's inexcusable problem and getting kicked off the team building a foundation in her mind, she simply couldn't focus on her core classes. Her irritation only grew when kids began to murmur as footsteps approached her.

"Young lady, you know you need this class in order to graduate."

Lynn met a middle-aged women wearing a button down underneath a unfashionable cardigan with a plaid skirt. Just depressing.

"Yeah, I got that. A 70 is passing."

"Loud, that would be a C-, which isn't good enough."

Lynn looked through a classroom door window. The hallway was starting to become congested with noisy kids, but what made her rise from her seat was Coach Pacowski walking with a group of girls while carrying a clipboard and sports equipment. It was time for football practice, something she was no longer affiliated with.

The sight of this resulted in her stomping her foot in vexation. She was the very reason why they were even going to practice.

"Well, you know what Miss. Joyce? That's your opinion, which means absolutely nothing to me."

The class remained silent with wide eyes before the bell rang. They cleared their seats to join the severely packed hallways. Knowing they were packed like sardines and no longer seeing her former teammates in sight, she took a deep breath and exited last. Just after one second of being outside the classroom, she could've sworn she heard her name at least three times.

And these people did not sound happy. Margo better not have mentioned the news to anyone.

Her first intention was to head to her locker before going to lunch. She didn't want to deal with people speaking to her, so she lowered her head and tried to move quick. However, she began to hear her name more consistently, which weren't followed by positive words. Kids that usually respected her or gave her space in the halls out of fear of catching a fist acted quite different. Now, some people gave her mean glares while others starred at her, thinking she didn't see.

"Way to go, Lynn." A large boy shouted while shoulder-checking her. She turned around.

"Come again?"

"You heard him. Nice job getting booted off the team." A tall skinny kid budded in, starring down at her. A quick punch to his scrawny chest and he'd eat those words.

Lynn nearly froze. She couldn't believe her ears.

"Wait, you better be careful, Jerry. The steroid girl might hurt you!"

The hallway flooded with laughter and low-profile taunts. Her heart was pounding as she uncontrollably became red with irritation, rage and immense sorrow. Without a doubt, she cared about popularity. The way people viewed her impacted the way she was treated. In opinion, resembling a cheater in sports would result in nasty treatment and little to no respect. She stormed passed the scoffing kids while heading to her locker. It wasn't a short walk, but what awaited her was more shocking than anything.

She starred at her locker as rage built up inside, her right eye twitching and her fists shut. Her arms were shaking as she carefully opened the damaged locker. Bad mouthing someone was easy to achieve, but this was far too much.

Her locker was severely dented with the words "Lynn Sucks" and "Bitch" spray painted across it in bright red. The lock was broken and all of her belongings were scattered throughout the hallway. It took her all of her strength to not rip the locker off it's hinges and beat the hell out of half the school body. She simply wanted to crawl inside of it and cry away her mixed feelings.

She tried her hardest to keep a straight face. She was always viewed as confident and somewhat authoritative, so she didn't want that to change. It only took one time to give someone the impression that you were weak or bashful and it would stick like tree sap.

She starred inside the locker til the hallways cleared. Afterwards, she let out a yell of pure anger while gathering her books and clothes. These things weren't replaceable, and neither was she for the football team. She hoped the coach would realize his mistake and come back begging, but that seemed too far-fetched.

Hoping it would work, she grabbed Lysol wipes she had in an old duffel bag before taking a shot at the hurtful graffiti. There seemed to be no difference, so she scrubbed harder and harder, but to no avail. Sprat paint is heavily potent, so it would take some serious chemicals in order to remove it.

And a lot more to try and get back on the team.

Feeling slightly exhausted, she punched the locker before she heard someone walking down the hall. She looked away and cleaned up her stuff when a student stopped to lean against a neighboring locker. Lynn felt she was being examined like a small organism through a microscope.

"I heard about what happened." A feminine voice spoke.

Lynn remained still upon hearing the voice. She kept her attention on the inside of her locker.

"How are those turds treating you?"

She irritably closed the locker before turning to look at the girl.

"I don't want to talk." She responded sternly.

"The ridicule I hear in the halls, are they true?"

"Do you actually believe I would take sports enhancement drugs?" Lynn barked before lowering her tone.

The brunette, just a couple months older than Lynn sighed before taking a step back to examine the graffiti.

"Ouch. That's gonna take a lot of detergents and sandblasting."

Lynn remained silent.

"Listen. Being someone that has played alongside you, I know you would never do something as risky as sticking a needle in your arm."

"Then why did you ask me that question?"

"Because.." The girl broke the eye-contact. "Doesn't matter."

Lynn leaned against a wall with a hand to her forehead.

"Bridget, how am I going to get back on the team? All the kids now hate me because of a stupid lie."

The girl put a hand on her back for means of comfort.

"Hey, I told the coach that you're a true MVP-"

"But that doesn't matter anymore. He believes I'm a cheater. Me, a cheater! That's why he called me into the office after the game. To punch me in the gut with bad news."

Bridget, just a little taller without freckles and her hair to the middle of her back, nodded in thought.

"Someone framed me, and on boy, they're gonna see my winged fury."

"I like the attitude, but the final game is only one week from now."

"Well, just like how I ran during the game, I act fast. I'll figure out who doesn't know the knife cuts both ways and teach them a lesson."

Bridget twirled her hair while thinking before nodding at an idea. She had a reason for starting her conversation with Lynn. She gave the short freckled girl a sincere smile.

"Before you do that, I've got a better idea."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I received PMs concerning if this would be a Lynn Loud fic or something more. It certainly won't only be about the athlete, but I can't promise she won't be the main character. Lynn is one of the sisters that can use more character development in the canon series, which initially helped me develop this story.

Anyways, how will Lynn's former teammate help her with her issue? I've got a truckload of ideas, but it will impact her daily life, as well as Lincoln's. Once again, thanks for the advice and feedback, I've got a good feeling about this one.


	3. Bad To Worse

**Author's Note:** It's been a while, but I finally got this chapter released. After a cold start to an unforgettable school day, Lynn came across someone that could possibly help her. Let's see what direction this leads the young athlete.

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own anything from Nickelodeon. No copyright infringement intended.**

 **Bad To Worse**

* * *

Whenever Lynn wasn't in the mood to go to a class, even if it was math or instrumental, she would simply find a way out. Whether it was skipping class or simply leaving school early, she wouldn't allow anything to stop her. Today, skipping her final four classes with Bridget was for good reason. Time away from the mockery and ridicule is what she needed. A time to relieve herself of stress.

Not giving a damn if her teachers would be upset with her, she threw left and right hooks at an innocent punching bag. Kicks, crosses, jabs, you name it. She let out a yell of vexation with each breath as Bridget watched from a good distance.

"You're lucky their ain't a gym class in session right now. Or else you'd have to leave." Bridget sat against a matted wall while texting.

"No I wouldn't. The kids would probably be impressed to see the skills I have. Teach them a thing or two." Lynn responded before her mouth formed a frown. After what recently transpired, no one would be remotely impressed.

"That punching bag is loud, _Loud_. No pun intended."

"It's either I do it on this or on a real person." Lynn took a second to look at her. "And we both know we don't want that."

"Damn Lynn." The taller girl laughed. "Take it easy."

The 13-year old finished a roundhouse kick, causing the punching bag to nearly break off it's fixture. Taking a seat next to Bridget, she sighed heavily. She slowly became frustrated when she remembered the problem her brother was having. In opinion, it was her duty as an older sister to put an end to the violence he was enduring. Yes, bullying can't define being kicked in the ribs. Besides finding the culprits, she couldn't think of much else. Adding her own bearing problems to her plate, it was inevitable she would become frustrated.

"This school is mad humid during this time of year. How about we dip and get some ice cream?"

"Dip?"

"Yeah, you know, sneak out?"

Lynn's stomach rumbled to the utter of food.

"Forget I mentioned ice cream, you might need an entire meal." Bridget proposed.

"Sure. Let's go."

After the two girls went undetected while sneaking passed school security, they casually made their way to the nearest Burpin' Burger, the only burger joint on town.

"You ordered the extra large cheeser, right?"

"Yep that's mine." Lynn took the burger off the tray before Bridget took a seat across from her. The couple minutes it took her to devour her lunch allowed her to ease her mind and stomach during the time being.

"Wow. You ain't gonna be sick from eating all that?" Bridget starred in wonder as Lynn crumbled the wrapper.

"I could eat two more, but I'm low on funds at the moment."

The girl raised a brow. "I can barely get through these chicken nuggets."

"Take your time."

After an hour of talking about school, common interests and nonsense, they made their way to a small two-story house on a dead-end street. Lynn was willing to spend the day going anywhere. An opportunity to breathe in fresh air and smell the flowers, or quite possibly a chance to come across Lincoln's enemies. She kept an eye out for anything suspicious.

"So this is where you live?"

"Gym coaches don't make a lot of money."

"What do you mean by that?" Lynn asked in confusion while keeping an eye on her surroundings.

"Just a friendly joke. You can go inside, I got a couple bikes out back."

Lynn shrugged. They were far from the Loud residence, so she figured she wouldn't be spotted by any of her siblings, much less her parents.

A couple minutes passed before the taller brunette called Lynn out to choose which bike she'd want to ride. After some safety checks, they soon made their way down the road.

The two athletes flew down the avenue as the wind shot passed their faces. They went for miles without stopping once, and Lynn didn't plan to either. Just under a week til the final football game, and she began to feel confident she'd find a way back on the team.

Until this happened.

It had been almost two hours since school ended when they came across a large park accompanied with inviting tall trees. They stopped by a bench as the streets were now congested with cars and pedestrians.

"You need a break already?" Lynn asked.

"Yeah, we rode for a long time. I'm not even sure where we are."

"Umm, a park..." Lynn mumbled before the two laughed.

"Silly of me."

Lynn took a seat and smiled.

"I guess we can stop for a couple minutes. This gives me time to thank you for hanging out today. If you didn't approach me in that hallway.." Lynn grunted at the thought of her vandalized locker. "I probably would've stayed the entire school day and who knows what else would've happened."

"That's what friends are for, we help each other out." Bridget smiled. She continued to talk when Lynn inadvertently stopped paying attention to her. Just across the street were a group of kids, boys in their age group. Nothing was odd, except one of the boys consistently glanced at them, as if he wanted to say something. Lynn's attention grew when the entire group began to stare at them, but only looks of nervousness were shot toward her. Did _everyone_ know about her problem?

With social media, word gets around quick, but her issue wasn't the reason for this uncanny incident.

"Hey, you listening Lynn? Lynn?" The jock slowly faced Bridget.

"Do you know those boys?"

"Who, those weirdos? Just ignore them." She responded before they made eye-contact with her. They group of males quickly crossed the street in the opposite direction. It was the oddest thing Lynn saw in a long time.

"You made them leave by simply looking at them."

"Ohh, I guess I did." Bridget shrugged. Lynn sighed.

"These brainless jerks I go to school with will believe anything they hear, won't they?"

"That's what I wanted to talk with you about. Earlier, I told you I'd give you a solution to your problem by the end of the day."

Lynn nodded as rush hour began in Royal Woods.

"A couple years ago when I was bullied at my old middle school in Ohio, I didn't think I'd be able to make any friends."

Lynn thought about Lincoln. The poor kid could relate to a story like this.

"But then I thought maybe it's because I wasn't cool enough. I always wore the same clothes and I was somewhat of a recluse. Suddenly one day, my mom purchased me a new wardrobe and took me to a salon."

Lynn didn't care to change her outfits, but she smiled at the thought of getting her hair done.

"That's good. Then what happened?"

"It didn't get better."

"Well damn." Lynn frowned.

"In fact, it made things worse. After nights of depression, the only solution I saw in the horizon was switching schools."

Lynn nodded before realizing what Bridget was indicating.

"It's a shame, because you seem like a nice girl Lynn."

Lynn looked down before creating eye-contact with Bridget.

"Are you telling me the only solution is to transfer to a different school...that I should forget about rejoining the team?"

Bridget remained silent. She was about to respond when Lynn walked away from her. She left the bike she borrowed.

"Hey, wait! Where are you going?"

"Home." Is all Lynn said before crossing the street.

* * *

It was a good hour passed dinner when the young athlete reached her block. She could've arrived home sooner, but as a result of allowing her despondency to control her, she dragged her feet all the way home. Who cared if she messed up the soles of her shoes, she believed they were only important for sports. The thought of sports made her dig a deeper hole of sadness as she sighed heavily upon arriving to her front steps.

Lynn contemplated how her day went, including the possibility of once again being viewed as the great athlete she really is. She didn't need Lisa to calculate the odds of her solving her problem to understand how Bridget's solution wasn't too far-fetched, but was she really going to transfer schools? No one can predict the future, but she wasn't going to allow an event like this kill her confidence and pride.

"Everyone's already home." Lynn mumbled before remembering not to ring the doorbell. An electric shock would only piss her off. She was about to knock on the door when it was flung open, a figure standing in the doorway.

"Mom. What's for dinner?" Lynn put on a fake smile after seeing the angry look on Rita's face.

"Dinner?! Your father and I called you at least eight times concerning where you were, and you didn't answer once."

"You did?" Lynn quietly asked before checking her phone. Her eyes met numerous "Missed Call" and multiple text messages. "Sorry...but I'm safe and I'm home. Isn't that all that matters?"

"Lori waited an extra hour for you after school, but she left after figuring you stayed late for sports activities."

"And she didn't even think to call me."

"Lynn...even if she did, you wouldn't answer." Rita wiped sweat off her forehead, as if she spent the entire day preparing a Thanksgiving meal. "Anyways, speaking of phone calls, I called your school."

Lynn's eyes widened as she froze in place. The thought of her mother discovering her issue made the worst possibilities swarm her mind. "You did...why? Why did you do that?"

"I wanted to know the reason for you staying so late, but it turns out _you_ were marked absent since lunch. Skipping classes and yelling at a teacher, c'mon Lynn!"

 _That teacher could shove it._ Lynn thought.

"Lynn Loud Jr, I'm going to ask this question once and only once, understood?"

Lynn swallowed hard at her mother's tone. This was it. She took a deep breath.

"S-Sure."

"What places did you go after you left school? Don't lie to me." Rita repeatedly tapped her foot with her arms folded. Her scolding look was something Lynn couldn't ignore. The young girl had a frog in her throat.

"Umm...Royal Woods library! A friend and I wanted a _real_ learning institute to spend the remainder of our time at. Unlike school, the comforting atmosphere was quiet and didn't stink like a subway station. To be respectful to those around me, I had my phone powered off. As a result, I guess I just lost track of time." Lynn finished, standing still as a board with a nervous grin. The mother of eleven was reading her daughter like a book. A moment of silence dragged on before Rita finally produced a weak sigh.

"Your dinner is in your room. Your dad also had some trouble withdrawing cash from the bank today, so we're low on extra food."

Lynn felt such a strong rush of relief, she almost laughed. Rita raised a brow.

"Did you go anywhere else on your journey home?"

"No. Any other questions?" Lynn failed to bite her own tongue.

"Anything else I need to know?"

"No, not at all." Lynn closed the front door behind her before making her way to her room. A close call to say the least.

It wasn't anywhere near bedtime for the Louds, but some of the kids found themselves spending the evening in their respective rooms. Lily and Leni were already sound asleep, and just across the hall from Lori's room, Luna and Luan were in their bunk.

"Luan, what do you think of the song 'Enter Sandman' by Metallica?" Luna asked with her beloved purple axe on her lap.

"Don't you see I'm busy with something? Don't interrupt someone working hard on a puzzle. Chances are, you'll hear some crosswords." Luan replied before accidentally dropping her puzzle to the floor while laughing hysterically. "G-Get it, c _rosswords?!"_ She kicked with laughter.

Sitting in a swivel chair, Luna gave her a wry glare.

"Did I leave you puzzled sis?" Luan put a hand to her ribs. "It's so funny, it hurts!"

"Then stop talking." Luna strummed her guitar. "Can't believe I'm even related to you."

"You're joking, right?"

"Shouldn't you be able to tell?"

Luan was about to respond with a witty remark when a yell from the neighboring room alarmed them. Whoever it was, they were angry.

Right after they dropped their conversation and reached the next room, their eyes met their sister starring at something with both fists tightly clenched.

"Lynn...you okay?" Luan asked.

"Does no one in this world have respect for me?! I had the worst day today, and now I enter my room to see that someone ate my dinner?!"

Luna and Luan heard someone belch from down the hall.

"Dang it Lana." They whispered while looking at the empty plate.

"I'm not sure if there's more pasta downstairs, but-."

"That's besides the point." Lynn sat next to Lucy on her bed. It became obvious food wasn't the only issue.

Used to behaving as an older sister and as a guardian, Luna closed the bedroom door behind her, knowing Lynn would want some privacy. "You want to talk?"

"No." She let out a long sigh of hopelessness with a hint of exhaustion. "I"ll be okay, I might have an old protein bar in my bag."

"You and I both want to hear your stomach stop screaming for food, but you've been..well, somewhat reclusive for over a day now, a full day since your big victory." Luan chimed in.

"I know a look of sadness and trouble when I see it. Just tell us what is going on with you." Lucy added while rubbing Lynn's back for means of comfort.

While Lynn stared at the sports equipment within the room, she remained silent. The baseballs, the football helmet, the jockstrap. These were some of the small things which built the foundations of her personality. At this moment, they weren't giving her the feeling of excellence like they usually did.

"Is the problem related to your grades?" Luna asked.

Lynn shook her head.

"Injuries?"

Lynn repeated the gesture.

"Ohh!" Luan put a lid over her excitement. "Does it have anything to do with that boy you like, anything at all?"

"No, worse..." Lynn responded, inducing frowns on the faces of her three sisters.

Lucy accessed the athlete for a while longer. What was Lynn looking at? What caused the misery bug to take a bite at her?

"Is it sports-related?" Lucy asked after noticing the absence of Lynn's infamous jersey.

When Lynn slowly nodded with tear-filled eyes, Lucy knew she hit it on the nail. It paid off to be close with your siblings. The sports fanatic and inspiring author didn't have much in common, but growing up in the same room together, they knew each other quite well.

"Wait, but how? Your team victory was all over social media." Luan said with surprise.

"You sure that was it?"

"What do you mean?"

Luna and Luan weren't ready to see their sister to burst into tears about getting kicked off the team. For someone who wasn't often humble, she kept her emotions in check for a good amount of time. They knew something was off since the moment she arrived home yesterday, but they would've never imagined something like this.

"What do we do?" Luan mumbled.

"I..I don't know. I never seen her this beat up before."

It was a good thing the walls were now soundproof after a recent home renovation. The Louds thanked Luna's music for that. It allowed Lynn to keep the terrible news within a small group, much better than the entire house hearing her pain. However, these positives still didn't soften the blow of her struggle.

The recent events with Lynn and her brother didn't feel like something she believed - dumb luck. If anything, it felt like she opened multiple umbrellas indoors, shattered a mirror and walked under a few too many ladders. She was feeling pain, and sure, athletes always feel pain, but this was different. She understood that someone hated her guts, but seeing her three sisters attempt to help and comfort her...

She remembered Lincoln's alarming bruises and injuries. More than angry, she felt guilty for allowing someone to feel bad for her. She believed this was a moment her brother deserved, a chance for him to share his problems, to relieve himself of his emotions. If he was anything like her, she knew rage would be involved. She taught herself to never be viewed as weak: It was the first time she ever cried in front of anyone that wasn't mom or dad.

"Why would your coach get rid of his most gifted player? Was he high?"

"Luan, I wish. I know it's bad, but it's a problem I can take care of myself." Lynn blew her nose into a tissue.

"No can do." Luna responded. "I should give that coach a piece of my mind."

"It's not just him." Lynn blurted out, soon regretting ever opening her mouth.

With wide eyes, Lucy, Luan and Luna allowed her to continue.

"You know I would never use steroids, right?"

Luan gasped.

"Someone framed me for having some...ungodly sports drugs and Pacowski didn't think twice before releasing me from his roster. I'm such an idiot, I should've kept my guard up. It's why I learned martial arts...I know that no one can be trusted."

And seeing her frightened brother made those words written into stone.

"Who would want to mess with my sister?" Luna's angry look said it all.

"That's something I need to deal with by myself."

"Lynn-"

"I'm not refusing your help, well, you know what I mean."

"How about you take a blood test?" Lucy proposed with a positive look naked to the human eye.

"Or a urine test. I'm sure it's saved many athletes." Luan added.

Lynn, now standing at her bedroom door, stopped turning the knob before facing them. She slowly smiled at the idea before face-palming.

"Why didn't I think of that?"

* * *

The rest of the evening went without incident. Luna, Luan and Lucy didn't miss any sleep, as they believed Lynn would soon prove to her coach how silly he was. Even Lynn, without her favorite number one jersey, found it achievable to sleep without any sad thoughts interfering. Maybe things would finally go back to normal. Maybe the tough crowd she goes to school with would learn the issue she was having and have big hearts. She didn't care too much about what people thought of her, as she knew a simple victory could win a crowd.

Unfortunately, these feelings were the exact opposite for Lincoln Loud. Almost the entire night, he tossed and turned in his twin bed. It wasn't because of the pain from his bruising, nor was the room humid, and there weren't any car alarms or animals keeping him up.

He had lost his best friend and his old school life. There was a bug going around, and it wasn't bad luck.

The 11-year old sat at the edge of his bed some hours of the night, wondering if he should wake someone concerning his problem. With heavy pondering and bun-bun tight in his arms, he decided not to. Just like Lynn, he didn't want anyone in his business, primarily due to past experiences with his siblings. He still remembers the time Ronnie Anne socked him in the face. With sad eyes, he would think about the times he had with Clyde and his other friends. They were stress-free hours for him.

But now every hour was a depressed one. At such a young age, he knew the effects of depression. Turning into Lucy was one thing, but it was a road he didn't wish to travel down. The rope of hope he held onto was Lynn assuring him she'd find the culprits, the heartless bullies that harass him when he least expects it. This gave him the drive to form a smile every once in a while.

 _Before we know it Bun-Bun, everything will go back to normal. You'll see my friends soon, I hope._

Prior of thinking to lay back down, his alarm clock shook the room.

"Dang it." He grunted. A school day he wasn't looking forward to. At times, he even thought to carry a weapon with him for means of protection. However, that wasn't on his mind at the moment. He had the gift of persuasion. If a young kid didn't like school, the first idea was to simply play hooky.

"Lincoln!" Rita knocked on the door. "It's time for school, no one can stay home today."

Shit. He already took a day off, so what was the likelihood of having two consecutive days off?

"Umm..I don't want to go to school!"

There was a moment of silence before Rita entered the room, wearing an outfit quite different from usual.

"What's the occasion?" Lincoln produced a phony cough.

"Jury duty, something I dread. Did you know you lose pay?"

"That sucks."

"Now." Rita once again folded her arms. "What's the reason for wanting to stay home this time?"

"What do you mean? *cough* I went yesterday." He whined.

"When I arrived home yesterday, your gaming system was so hot it could've nearly burned me."

"So why were you touching it?"

"Because..that's besides the point. You have to go to school, no questions asked."

"But I'm *cough* not feeling well." Lincoln finished with an over-exaggerated wheeze.

Fearing she would miss the taxi cab that waited for her, she yelled out the window.

"Be right out!" She said before giving her son a suspicious look.

"Sick huh?"

"It's bad." Lincoln remained in a laying position. Rita casually placed a hand on her forehead.

"Lincoln, your forehead is cooler than mine. Now get ready. I don't want you to be late. You can say hi to your friends."

Lincoln laid in silence before Rita exited the room.

"Can't stop here." He told himself before chasing after her.

When Rita was halfway down the stairs, she didn't expect to see Lincoln flash by her to the kitchen. His eyes met his hungry sister bombarding Leni with questions about breakfast.

"Can you get the low-fat yogurt Leni? It's near the back." Lori asked.

"Can you crack two more eggs for me Leni?" Lana added.

"You're doing an _eggscellent_ job Leni, but is the bacon finished yet?" Luan joined in.

"Where is my bacon?!" Lola just had to speak.

"Wait! This is bacon?!" Leni yelled.

Lincoln saw this fiasco as an opportunity to avoid another dreadful day.

"Leni needs help mom, you see why I need to stay?"

"No Lincoln, we just spoke about this." Rita replied with smoke in her face. "Be careful Leni, and don't put too much spice in the food, I don't need Lori throwing up again."

Lincoln walked away from the kitchen feeling frustrated before another idea came into mind. Would it be ironic to fake an injury at a time like this? Noticing a topless milk carton placed close to the edge of a counter, he put his plan into action.

He carefully moved between each of his siblings without making contact til he reached Leni. He lightly tickled her, immediately causing the blonde to flip a pan of scorching hot bacon off the stove top. She immediately jumped back, pushing Lincoln and Lola into the milk carton.

"AAAHHHHH!" Leni yelled before she accidentally slipped on the spilled milk. Lincoln went down with her as the bacon nearly missed their faces.

"Whoa!" Everyone yelled as they jumped back to witness them lying against the stove.

"Oh my gosh, get off her Lincoln!" Lori quipped.

"Oww..."

A blistering red Rita is what Lincoln's eyes met after realizing how bad of a mess he made. Time to plead to your lucky stars.

"I think to use the bathroom for one minute and this is what happens?!"

"I don't even know what happened." Luna said while standing against a wall with widened eyes.

"My leg, I can't move it." Lincoln whimpered before he was helped off of Leni. "How am I going to walk to school?"

"Lincoln.." Rita was about to flip out before her attention was snatched by the sound of tires screeching. When she ran outside to the middle of the street, the taxi had already drove off and unfortunately, it was a busy morning for the Royal Woods taxi company. What officially made Rita lose her shit was when she saw Lincoln on the stairs - walking perfectly fine.

"You little..." Rita grunted before Lincoln thanked his lucky stars his bedroom door had a lock on it. Poor kid.

* * *

 _6 Days before final game..._

After the events of the earlier morning, Lynn Sr. returned from the bank to drop off the kids at their respective schools. After Lori, Leni, Luna and Luan exited the old van to enter the school, he waited patiently behind the wheel for Lynn.

"You have everything?"

"Yeah, urine in a jar."

"Is it tightly closed?"

"Yep."

"And the blood?"

"Yep."

"Alright, let's go."

After Lynn's sisters helped her the night before, she informed her father of her issue. Believing he was the more reasonable parent, she spilled the bad news, hoping he would stay strong for her. She expected a surprised reaction, which is what she received, but he remained calm and supportive from that moment forward. He was her number one fan, so there was no way he wasn't going to help her get back on the team.

"Just so you know, I might miss first period." She said with a smile, ignoring the snarl a random student gave her.

"No problem. I'll set your coach and teachers straight." Lynn Sr. said while walking inside the school.

After so much humiliation and ridicule, Lynn grew thicker skin. She didn't care what anyone thought if they saw her with her dad. The demoralizing looks and the comments from yesterday rolled off her back. A new day comes with new strength and new thoughts, something an athlete like her lived by. But circumstances can change in an instant. You've got to take what life gives you and run with it. Lynn knew this. It's been a constant, but she had her own way of battling her issues.

"Junior, who's locker is that?" Lynn Sr. asked while watching two janitors fight to blast and scrub off graffiti.

"I've got no clue dad, this school is pretty crazy."

After a few flights of stairs and a couple long hallways, Lynn Jr. and Sr. finally reached Coach Pacowski's office in high hopes of putting this misunderstanding behind them. Lynn would still help her brother and search for the culprit, but she would be less stressed. When the burly man heard a knock at the door, a look of discomfort came over him.

"Mr. Loud and your daughter Lynn... come in. Don't hesitate to leave the door open."

Without listening, Lynn Sr. closed the door.

"Dang it...so, how's Casa Loud?"

"Great." The father cleared his throat. "My daughter and I came here today concerning your decision to remove her from the football team, despite her efforts and strives to give this school the possibility of obtaining a championship title."

Coach Pacowski looked away, finding his office flooring quite interesting to stare at.

"She trains hard everyday for whatever she does. Boxing, baseball, this dang sport, everything. Now I don't know who would frame my daughter to look like a cheat, but my daughter, _your_ star player has indisputable proof that she never used steroids."

With a confident smile, Lynn opened her bag to reveal two small jars.

"Urine?" Coach Pacowski sat bewildered before making eye-contact with the girl for the first time. "..and blood?"

Lynn stood with a poker face, waiting for her coach to drown her with apologies. However, she received something she wasn't expecting.

"Mr. Loud, Lynn.." The coach stood from his chair. "Before I became your coach, your brother Lincoln was one of my physical education students. He would always talk about how athletic you are, how strong of a drive you have when it comes to performing well. It's something I would want in any athlete. However, working here was my first job. After multiple seasons of failing to win a championship, I went to Royal Woods elementary."

Lynn Sr. checked his watch while Lynn Jr. became intrigued. She wanted to get out of there, but if this was part of an apology, she would gladly wait.

"What motivated me to rejoin this school, to help these girls, was you. Your stories impressed me, and I without a doubt wanted to meet you. Seeing you play this year and excel in this game, it never occurred to me that you would be a cheater. I even found it hard to believe when I spoke to you before. These jars confirm my belief of you being a fair player."

Lynn nodded. When do I hit the field, she thought.

"But I can't put you back on the team."

If Lynn Sr. was holding a coffee, he would've spilled it everywhere. Was this coach serious? He saw this as a slap in the face to his daughter, but Lynn couldn't bring herself to speak. She drained herself half a pint of blood to prove she was correct and somehow that wasn't enough. She went pale in the face.

"What! How?!" Lynn Sr. shouted, causing the burly man to back away. "You told us this story just to waste our time? To once again tell her she can't do what she loves most?"

"It's not what it looks like-"

"No, it's pretty obvious what it looks like. You're a terrible team coach. You don't respect the values of a good athlete, nor their feelings. Put her back on the team, or your bosses will hear from me."

Coach Pacowski could sense the acrimony behind Lynn's words. He wasn't leaving the building unless there was going to be a roster change. His yelling caused heads to turn in the hallways, people nearby now looking inside.

"I want to, believe me, but I can't. My bosses, the rich guys that run the sports league have tough rules against people they believed cheated. Problems like this usually result in an expulsion, but I fought to prevent that. Besides, the results for testing the samples of blood and urine for drugs would take over a week to arrive.

Lynn Sr. watched Lynn exit the office without looking back.

"A week from now is a day after the championship game, when the season is finished. Allowing her to remain a team member would be breaking the rules."

The father backed away from the coach, his anger subsiding as a feeling of defeat settled in. Sadly, this all made sense to him.

"I'm going to speak to my daughter outside."

With tears steadily building in her eyes, she watched her father approach her. Any of his children in distress was a difficult sight.

"Lynn, I need you to be strong for me, okay? You're graduating this year, so you can try to put all of this behind you."

"But how? Sports is my future, won't this affect that?"

"Hon, I'm sorry that there's nothing I can do, but you're a strong girl. Don't let something like this destroy you. It hurts me to see you sad like this."

Lynn looked up at him, attempting to control her tears as people walked by the office.

"I gotta head to work alright. Just call me if anything else happens." Lynn Sr. hugged his daughter for a short moment before descending down the hall.

Lynn now found herself alone in the hallway. What could she do now? It became more apparent how bad the situation was, it was even out of Pacowski's control. She was feeling the intense gravity of the situation all over again.

But she had one question for him, it concerned something she couldn't let go.

"Sir.." She entered as the coach gave her his full attention. "If I'm no longer on the team, then who will take my position?"

Coach Pacowski sighed. "I hoped you wouldn't ask that, but I suppose you deserve an answer."

Lynn was ready for whatever was about to hit her.

"After your unfortunate loss, I feared the team would be one player short of contending in the final game. Being there has to be a full roster, I was in a corner here, until someone introduced me to another athlete. Someone from the basketball team."

Lynn remained silent.

"I hope you do figure out who framed you. It's the only possible way for you to come back."

"Thanks." Lynn was halfway out the door before Pacowski said one last thing.

"If you can, thank Bridget for me. She worked so hard to help me find a new player. Heh heh, if I didn't know any better, I would've thought she wanted it to seem like you were never here."

"If there's anyone you should be expressing your generosity to, it should be me." Lynn closed the door before the coach had a chance to talk. It wasn't until a few seconds later that his last comment finally dawned on her.

Why would he make a joke like that? Was there a hidden meaning behind it? Lynn pulled out her phone to see a text message.

 _Hey, u in school today?_

Lynn smiled before a frown came over her. She now had an opportunity to thank Bridget, but instead had something else in mind.

 _Yeah, and I just spoke to the coach. We need to talk._

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I hope this chapter was worth the wait. Between college finals, working and other matters, it's been difficult to find the time and energy to develop these stories. Though, it doesn't mean I would ever quit writing. It's a hobby of mine simply because I enjoy it, so it's something I certainly will continue doing.

Anyways, the only issues you should be worried about are the escalating problems Lynn is facing. She has a ton of willpower and confidence, but how much can a person tolerate before they finally reach their limit? You never know what you can endure. Your threshold for pain, both physical and mental, is perhaps unable to be read or understood. Everyone has a limit, so with Lincoln's issues adding to the weight on her shoulders, you have to wonder how Lynn isn't far past hers by now.


	4. Run Lincoln, Run!

**Author's Note:** You heard the train coming. You saw the thick steam. You saw the bright light charging towards you. Yep, another chapter pulling into the station.

A big thanks to all the feedback and suggestions. When there are only six days til the final football game, Lynn learns a drug test won't solve her problem. Despite that, she will certainly have more tricks up her sleeve.

Also to ArKticEagle, Lynn seeking advice from the wisest in the family would be a clever move. However, it would also expose Lisa to Lincoln's issue, which Lynn promised to keep between her and her brother.

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own anything from Nickelodeon. No copyright infringement intended.**

 **Run Lincoln, Run!**

* * *

Throughout her life, Lynn was often misjudged. She was known by many for having a mammoth of an ego, especially when celebrating a victory. However, she never believed she was the king, or in this case, queen of the world. The young athlete would boast, never feel pity for her opponents and even unintentionally insult people at times, but aren't those attributes we see in people almost everyday?

Besides her family, little did people know Lynn was a person who had a strong love for affection and endearment. Because kids always were excited to speak with her whenever she performed well in something, she couldn't get enough of their kindness and respect. Sports was what she practiced most and excelled in the best, which eventually became her life.

Recognition always drove her to do better in whatever she did, which built a hard-working girl overtime. Of course the ignorant would see this as "being bitchy", but her intelligence told her the ones that mattered were the ones that would never turn on her.

Like the little brother that was facing some serious bullying.

Considerable attention had been paid to Lynn's problem as of late, especially regarding the trust colleagues had in her. It became clear as day those kids who once cheered for her were simply condescending followers with no direction in life. Most people would allow this to ignite fear, but she wouldn't. Revenge and success was the only thing in the driver's seat now.

Lynn was on her way to class when someone turned the corner towards her up ahead. Looking up, her face hardened. Before Bridget could react, she fell to the floor after bumping into Lynn. Bridget looked up, thinking she walked into a wall.

"You seemed quite intrigued in your phone." Lynn said in monotone.

"I was, until now."

Bridget stood with a hand to her forehead. She tried to walk around Lynn, but Lynn wouldn't let her. Knowing something was up, the taller girl stopped to stare at her.

"What is this I hear about you replacing me on the team?" Lynn spoke in an articulate, imperious tone. Bridget was going to be late for class, no doubt.

"Lynn, I've been studying like crazy for a history exam. Can we talk later, I'm gonna miss it."

"Oh really? Mr. Glass postponed the exam for next week."

"Oh, well that's good. Cuz I didn't really study." Bridget giggled, expecting Lynn to burst into laughter.

"I'm trying to get back on the team, remember?" Lynn held a stern look.

Bridget's smile turned into an annoyed frown.

"You're being ridiculous Lynn."

Lynn starred at the girl for an entire minute. Father would be soo pleased if she hit her.

"Why are you smiling now?"

"Don't you remember all the crap you went through yesterday? The harassment, the derision, the harsh looks from everyone?" Bridget remembered.

"Yeah, so what?"

"Those things aren't going to just stop out of the blue."

"What are you insinuating?"

"Thinking about the bullying I faced at my old school, the best change for me was starting over somewhere else. Turning a new leaf, something you should do."

"Well, it's nice you're looking out for me and the team, but I don't plan to transfer schools. I'm fighting to get back on this team."

"Lynn-"

"And I will destroy the little scoundrel who messed with me. You'll see."

"Lynnette, come back here."

"Bridget..." Lynn closed her fist, making the taller girl take a step back. She walked towards her, the both of them standing just inches apart.

"You seem to be real nice with everyone. Do me a favor and tell Coach Pacowski to make room for one more."

Before Bridget could raise a finger, Lynn was already halfway inside the classroom. At this point, not a soul could change her mind about dropping what happened.

* * *

Remember the emergency escape slide Lincoln has outside his bedroom window? He could thank Lisa for assembling that. He managed to escape the house via slide microseconds before Rita could spank him numb for making her late to Jury Duty.

The bad news was he didn't have a getaway vehicle. Thinking on his feet, he didn't see dad arrive with Vanzilla. After bouncing off the rubber slide, he immediately began running to school. His legs were frazzled by the time he arrived to the front steps of the Elementary School, but he knew the exercise would do good for him.

Little did he know, that wasn't going to be the last time he'd have to run before the day's end.

Hours later, it was time for recess at the Royal Woods Elementary school. After a filling lunch meal, it must be smart to immediately burn those calories by throwing handballs against building walls and chase other kids with sticks while screaming. Lincoln wasn't subject to this, but he tried his best to enjoy his day.

He felt a little more at ease knowing Clyde was absent. He wouldn't have to be ignored by a person whose attention meant most to him. He wanted to focus on possibilities to build more opportunities instead of making his problems his focal point. Stressing over his issues would leave him with a feeling of hopelessness and depression.

"Hey Lincoln, want to play catch?" A girl called out.

Right when Lincoln was going to respond, another kid whispered something in the girl's ear. He slowly sat down when the two kids gave him a nervous look before walking away.

"So this is my life now." Lincoln muttered.

He froze in place when he felt someone's presence behind him. The person's body heat burning his neck, he wasn't sure what to do. He was still paranoid after the recent beating he took from the older kids.

 _It's all gonna happen again! Can't these losers leave me alone?_

Lincoln didn't want to attract any attention by yelling for help, but once two hands gripped his shoulders, he lost all control of himself.

"AHHHH!" Lincoln screamed loud enough for the entire school body to stop what they were doing. The next sound everyone heard was laughter.

"Lincoln! You should've seen the look on your face!" Rusty was red in the face with laughter.

Once Lincoln felt the grips on his shoulders loosen, he exhaled in relief.

"Don't spook me like that!" Lincoln was out of breath from the yelling.

"I gotta tell Zack and Liam about this."

Rusty continued laughing, getting an angry glare from Lincoln. The white-haired boy cleared his throat, believing he wasn't speaking loud enough. "It wasn't funny Rusty, okay?! Nothing you do is funny, I'm not sure why you even hang out with me."

Lincoln didn't realize how much those words hurt the redhead boy til it was too late.

"Wait Rusty, I didn't mean it."

"No Lincoln, you're right. I've always felt like the odd one in our squad, all you did was remind me."

Lincoln watched Rusty walk off, feeling remorseful for overreacting to what was nothing more than a harmless prank. With a frown etched on his face, he believed he pushed away the one kid who still wanted any contact with him. No longer looking over his shoulder every five seconds, he felt even more alone.

He noticed how close he sat to the exit of the school. Thinking to move somewhere clear of possible trouble, he watched a basketball bounce passed him. A group of kids with sweat laced on their foreheads and armpits gave him dumb, blank stares.

"I'll get the ball..." Lincoln groaned.

The ball was in a puddle and his bruises were killing him. How worse could this day possibly get? His hands now filthy, he tossed the ball back to the kids.

"Your welcome, assholes." He said.

Now standing at the exit of the schoolyard, he began making his way back inside when he heard wheels stop behind him. Thinking it was another prank, he turned around.

"Rusty, before you say anything-"

Lincoln looked up to lay eyes on an older kid with a scooter. He had charcoal colored hair, dominating acne and large teeth like Luan. His chin hair told Lincoln he was well passed fifth grade.

"Hey kid, you got any loose change on you? Any money at all?"

"Why, are you homeless or something?" Lincoln questioned.

"I'm wearing Jordans and a Supreme hoodie, kid. I'm loaded with cash." He snorted.

"Then why are you asking an eleven year old for cash, _kid_?"

Lincoln grinned as the older kid felt pretty stupid. Shame on you for having a hard time getting money from a grade schooler.

"It's whatever." The kid left with his scooter before quickly returning. Lincoln saw this coming.

"What is it now?"

"You don't have a lot of money, is that it?" He could barely look Lincoln in the eye, as if something else had caught his attention.

"Besides my allowance, no, not really." Lincoln said sheepishly.

"Great. You want to make ten dollars real quick?" He asked with an assertive grin Lincoln could've sworn he saw Joker have in the Batman films. Lincoln chose to trust his gut.

"No thanks." Lincoln simply turned around before the kid grabbed him by his shoulder.

"How about twenty bucks? No, fifty bucks? Screw it, I'll make it five hundred bucks!"

Lincoln was nervous by this point. Something was wrong, this kid wasn't accepting no for an answer.

"That is hard to come by-"

"Perfect. Come with me." The kid said while checking his watch.

Lincoln quickly found himself a couple blocks away from school, his hands tightly under the older kid's hands while standing in front of him on the scooter. He didn't want to get in any trouble, being that the school bell had rung for the return of the students. What made butterflies flood his stomach however, was how the kid wasn't saying a word.

"Can you tell me where we're going? I never gone this direction."

"I know." The kid said in monotone.

After crossing a busy intersection, they raced around one more corner. When Lincoln was stopped at the end of a long brick wall, the older kid released his sweaty tight grip from the handles before dropping the scooter. Lincoln's hands were in pain as he watched the kid walk to the other side of the wall.

Laughter and constant shushing is what Lincoln heard before the aforementioned kid poked his head out from the other side.

"Looks like I was wrong about the money. You know your way back?" He asked.

Lincoln stood stiff, not realizing his feelings of discomfort were obvious as ever. Just minutes ago he was in a different side of town. Not only was he lost, but the area looked desolate.

And the place reeked of something strong.

"C'mon, let me get a hit!" Someone said.

"Shut the hell up!" The bucktooth kid said before turning to look at Lincoln.

"Who are they?" Lincoln whispered.

"Oh, these guys?"

Lincoln turned red as a lobster when he saw who came out from the other side of the wall. Most preteens wouldn't shit their pants when they see kids looking around the age of a high school sophomore approach them, unless they had a bad experience with them. When Lincoln laid eyes on one of the kids, his instant fear shook him like a vibrator.

A large kid with the waist size of an exercise ball approached him, then three other guys soon followed. Lincoln took a step back before slamming into another kid, the large hands that gripped his shoulders making him almost yell out in fear. It was the first time he met the scooter kid, but the rest of them?

These were the kids who abused Lincoln in a daily.

"Weak Linc! What's good?" The large kid said as someone forced Lincoln to put his hands behind his back.

"Leave me alone Brock!" Lincoln implored and kicked, his legs only making contact with air.

"Why are you shaking, there's no need to be afraid." Brock directed someone to pull up Lincoln shirt. During the process, a sweaty palm covered Lincoln's mouth.

"Sorry, their paying me to do this..." The bucktooth scooter kid whispered, making Lincoln angry.

"Who are you, Deadpool or something? His bruises are practically gone!" A kid said in surprise.

"Then let's give him some, ones that he'll never forget." Brock grunted.

As nasally laughter filled the air, Lincoln felt his shirt drop and the grip on his wrists loosen. Acting while he thought, he knew this would be his only opportunity to escape a beating that could be worse than the last. Before they got the chance to laugh any longer, Lincoln jumped and threw his head back, instantly making contact with the kid that stood behind him. Next, he threw a swift kick at another and bit down hard on the scooter kid's hand.

"OWW, FUCK!" One of the hooligans yelled, feeling his broken nose release a river of blood.

"Where did he go?!" Another yelled. Nursing his hand, the bucktooth kid noticed someone disappear into a field of trees.

"That way!" He pointed out.

"Catch him, catch him!" Brock added, deciding not to chase after him.

Lincoln's heart was racing faster than his own two feet. Flying passed trees without looking back, he had four guys on his tail. Squinting his eyes, he dodged low-bearing branches, rocks and anything else that could easily floor him. His mother would never complain about his lack of exercise if she witnessed something like this. Though, Lincoln was quite overwhelmed. Being that they were taller and in a group, his enemies had an advantage. After running for a good two minutes, he could hear the yells and shouts from behind growing louder and closer. Lincoln sped up when he saw a street ahead.

"I really need Lynn here!" He thought.

Lincoln tripped over a log before landing in the street. After checking for bruises from the fall, he looked around for the first time. He saw the goons running towards him. One of them fell over the log, screaming in agony as they faceplanted the concrete, instantly breaking their teeth. He got back to his feet and gunned it down the block. Instinctively, he now knew there were only three following him.

The three older kids were annoyed by this point. One of their friends could never smile in a picture again, and they really had to turn on the jets in order to catch this eleven year old. Lincoln knew this and tried not to think about the pain in his obliques and chest. Maybe some sit-ups and jogging was necessary during the free time.

People turned their heads as Lincoln flew passed them, the three jerks doing the same just a second later. After several blocks, Lincoln saw his elementary school in sight. He was panting and his chest was on fire, but the simple act of slowing down could be his life. One of the boys swung at him, their fingers just a couple feet away at this point. Lincoln knew it was time to cross the street while the light was green.

A car was moving at 80 mph when he decided to jump in the street. By the skin of his teeth, he successfully crossed before becoming roadkill. This gave him time as those chasing him had to wait for the light.

"Fuck this, I-I can't run anymore. My heart can't take it." One of the kids said.

"Aii bet, we'll catch him. Just chill here." Another said, the scooter kid listening with a nervous facial expression.

Lincoln was now on the block of his school when he heard two kids yell for him. Only when there is trouble there is no traffic on the streets, Lincoln thought as fast as he could. When he struggled to open the gates to the school and realized they were locked, his fear and anger only rose.

"Why?!" He said before continuing down the block. He ran passed girl Jordan, not realizing it was her.

"Run Lincoln, run!" She shouted, believing he was racing the older boys til one of them slammed into a tree. Like a smart person, she turned to walk the other direction before arriving late to school.

"My face Lamont, my face!" The bucktooth scooter kid said with a broken nose, missing teeth, a perforated cheek and a fractured wrist.

"Kevin, you little-" The other kid stopped for a second, his feet skidding near rocks at a street curb.

"My face!" He cried out again.

"Fine, stay here and cry like a little bitch. You don't know what it's like for some kid to lose a big game for you! My parents hate me because of him!"

Ironically, the sky was clear and the temperature was great. A picture-perfect day.

Lincoln ran for five more blocks before one of his shoes came untied. He watched his back several times, seeing no one in the horizon. Did they finally decide to forget about him? Moments like these made him scared to leave the house. He quickly hid behind some trash cans to fix his shoe, hoping he had a clean shot to his house.

Which would be another fun filled mile.

He wondered when the harassment and violence would end. His eyes teared up thinking about how alone he felt. No friends around and no sisters to protect him. Besides his own home, he felt safe nowhere. He walked at a slow speed, his anger subsiding and his sadness taking over.

"What am I gonna do?" He muttered in a weak and drained voice. "I need a bodyguard..."

He paused when he heard footsteps approaching him. He turned around to see the enraged countenance of the person that kicked him in the shoulder just days ago.

"I fucking got you now!" Lamont cried out in undeniable anger.

Before Lincoln could run, the last boy standing wrapped his arms around his waist and held him off the ground. Once again, his heart raced at the speed of sound.

"Why are you doing this, why?! Let me go!" Lincoln begged.

"Oh I do intend to do that!" The delinquent grunted with a wide grin before Lincoln realized he was walking on a bridge.

* * *

Lynn held a strong look of confidence with a touch of vexation as she carried her lunch tray to a cafeteria table. Feeling the stares of other students heavy on her, she was ready to fling her tray of saturated mash potatoes and pasta at one of them. She figured none of them had the balls to approach her, but it was still annoying to be watched like a hawk everywhere you went.

Understanding they simply didn't have anything better to do, Lynn sat alone at one of the tables. Whoever ruined her school life wasn't someone who would stare in fear. She fished through the nasty moldy food with her back to a wall, giving her a clear view of everyone in the cafeteria. She was used to the loud noises and the obnoxious yelling, being she was often one of the rowdy contributors.

Though, she wished to avoid trouble. Since her latest class, she had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, as if someone somewhere was in troubled waters. While she played with a plastic fork and her train of thought was hard on it's tracks, said thoughts were derailed when she noticed the shadow of someone moving near her. Needless to say, she moved her tray aside and tightened her fists.

"Head up Lynnsanity, we both know you're not eating that food."

"Oh here we go." Lynn rolled her eyes as Bridget took a seat across from her, easily blocking her view of everyone.

"What's good?" She asked.

"I can't remember the last face I saw that wasn't yours." Lynn stated, feeling annoyed.

"Really? Take a look at that kid over there."

Lynn turned her head to see a boy starring at her. His face pale with surprise. He shook, almost ready to piss himself.

"Why..." Lynn muttered.

"Afraid of girls? Huh? What was that?" Bridget taunted.

"N-N-N-N-No-"

"Of course you are you liar, now get lost!" Bridget ordered, watching the kid nod before running away.

Lynn continued picking at her food when her friend looked back at her. Bridget gave a heavy sigh.

"Why the look of worry?"

"Are you seriously asking me that?" Lynn blinked hard.

"My fault." Bridget frowned. Lynn lost interest in her food.

"What did Coach Pacowski say?"

When Bridget decided to stare at the floor in interest, Lynn rolled her eyes.

"Did you even speak to him? Remember out talk?" Lynn raised her voice.

"I didn't catch coach today, but I got football practice later." Bridget mumbled.

"What?"

"I got practice later! I'll speak to him then."

"We both will." Lynn added, causing Bridget to turn to look at her.

"Yeah...okay." The taller brunette responded before leaving.

Lynn flung her tray against a wall, feeling content. After days of feeling like she was in a hole, she finally felt she could climb out.

An hour passed when Lynn snuck out of her class to join the football team on the field. From a good distance, she watched them run laps, hurdles and repeatedly practice tackles and throwing. The joy she had when she was a member of the team, a peace of that happiness still remained in her heart. A huge smile was on her face before she realized something.

She knew the team members like her own family. She could spot them and identify them in just a couple of seconds, which is why her smile faded so quick. There was no sight of Bridget. Lynn decided to text and call her, but the call only went to voicemail. However, what made Lynn's eyes widen with surprise was what she saw next.

Across the field on the other side of her school, she saw a couple kids walking away to cross the street. Skipping class was a given at times, but Bridget's bangs and tall lean figure stood out.

"She bailed on me, wonderful!" Lynn grabbed a baseball bat and swung it at a tree to release her short-lasting rage.

On the field, everyone stopped what they were doing when they saw the 13-year old. Some quietly spoke among themselves as others watched.

"Coach."

"Lynn? You can't be here right now." Coach Pacowski said, almost dropping his clipboard in surprise.

"Did Bridget speak with you?"

"Bridget?" He looked around before marking her absent.

"Yeah, she dipped." Lynn replied lethargically.

"Just like how your skipping your class?" He raised both brows.

Lynn didn't want to skip anymore classes, but a moment with her coach was most important. She hoped the meeting would go by quick.

"Can we speak in private?" Lynn lowered her voice.

The coach looked around before giving a subtle nod.

As Lynn sat beside him on the sun-scorched bleachers, she rehearsed what she was going to say like a nervous kid waiting to present a school project. Pacowski gave her a stringent glare.

"I'm giving you two minutes."

"All I need is one."

"I'm listening."

"Get the new girl off the team."

Coach Pacowski looked up towards the sky and sighed weakly.

"Lynn, why should I? Did you figure out who framed you yet?"

"I honestly don't understand why there isn't a school wide drug search if you truly believe I'm innocent."

Coach Pacowski was slapped across the face with mind-blowing knowledge.

"Lynn, you're...did you find out who did this to you?"

"No, not yet. It's been on my mind all day." She pointed out.

"I understand." He tried so hard to relate. Lynn turned to look at him.

"Bruh, believe me you don't. You ever been framed and punished for something you didn't do and not even get an opportunity to verbally defend yourself?"

He remained silent. She nodded.

"You and I both know you need me on this team. Think about that shiny trophy. You would see it every time you enter the school. I know if I was a teacher that would brighten my day."

"Same here..." He said with a smile.

"Yeah, well you could forget that scenario if I'm not on the roster." She grinned.

"Aww dang it." He whined.

"These girls are great and all, but they need more than just a coach."

Coach Pacowski guessed what she was alluding to. She looked him in the eye.

"A captain, a true leader."

He nodded, imagining the trophy in his arms.

"Coach, you listening?" She shook him.

"Huh? What?"

"I'm the missing puzzle peace for such a dream. Keep a team roster position open for me and I assure you I will find the...the scum, the dirty punk that did this to us."

"You will?" He asked like a child. It was well passed two minutes.

"They don't call me Lynnsanity for nothing." She pointed out.

"You're a special kid Lynn." He said before standing from the bench to approach the field. He eyed the new girl.

"Stephanie." He called out to a girl around Lynn's height and age.

"Coach, what's up? Just doing my drills like you instructed me to."

"You've worked hard during your time as a member of our team."

"As I should. I've only been a member a few hours so-"

"You're off the team."

"W-What?" She shouted in sudden surprise. The girl was ready to burst into salty tears til she laid eyes on the only Loud standing on the field.

"You're going to replace me with _her_?"

Lynn kept a stern face.

"A _cheat_ like her?"

Lynn threw a punch, which was stopped just inches from Stephanie's face. The burly coach tightly held Lynn's wrist.

"Lynn. Go to class. Now." He said.

"Coach, seriously?" Lynn laughed.

"Let me remind you you're argument was highly convincing, but we're not friends." He stated.

Lynn nodded, still holding eye contact with the girl. She soon felt bad about what she did, as it was similar to an act of bullying and violence. The other girl evidently wanted an opportunity just like she did, to have fun and be active. Though, as she headed to class, the young athlete couldn't control the smirk that came over her.

A plan to solve her problem was finally in action. Now, it was time to understand that weird feeling in the pit of her stomach. She could sense when there was trouble somewhere.

* * *

The courtroom was hot and humid as Rita laid dead asleep during jury duty. A lawyer took his sweet time asking a witness questions concerning a crime, which bored everyone in attendance. What fun it was for her to serve in the federal courts. Rita cared for the safety of her neighborhood, but she had better things to do than worry about other people. She had to work and make money for her family, and she knew there was no one worrying about her.

Royal Woods was a safe neighborhood, she strongly believed. She was woken by the sound of a loud voice, ironically.

"May the jury please stand?"

"That also means you." A man standing behind her whispered. His words fell on deaf ears.

"May the jury please stand!" The judge said again, ever so upset for having to repeat himself.

"Woman, stand!" The rest of the jury said as Rita jumped to her feet.

"Sorry! My bad everyone..." She said wide-eyed before yawning like a bear.

The judge shook his head before adjusting his glasses.

"On the four counts of murder in the first degree, how do you find this man?" He asked the foreman.

Rita sarcastically thanked the heavens when the jury chose her as the foreman. This gave her more work to do. What kind of real leadership skills did she have? The judge wouldn't know, but he became irate when she noticed her standing still, snoring away.

"Someone wake Ms. Loud!"

The jury did so in unison, like they were trying out for an orchestra. Rita open her eyes before almost falling down. She couldn't stay awake if her life depended on it. Even catching the evil glare of a convicted murderer didn't keep her from her strong desire for a soft bed.

"G-G-Guilty." She yawned before the guy behind her slapped her on the ass. "Guilty! Guilty your honor, guilty!"

"Damn you!" The criminal shouted, the guards and handcuffs preventing him from attempting to do anything.

"Keep away!" Rita said before backhanding the stranger that touched her. However, what made her soon forget everything that just transpired was a phone call she received. She stepped outside to answer her phone.

"Hello? This is Ms. Loud, to whom am I speaking with?" She questioned articulately.

Her skin crawled when she heard heavy breathing on the other line.

"Hello?" She repeated.

The breathing remained the same before the unknown caller ended the call. Needless to say, she was quickly ready to head back home. On her way out of the courthouse, she was approached by two male police officers. She tried to hide her impatience.

"Good afternoon, Rita Loud? Is that your name?" One of them asked.

"Yes it is gentleman. Listen, if this is about me sleeping during jury duty, I apologize. Three large coffees with turboshots aren't enough to keep this girl up!"

The officers quickly glanced at one another.

"Umm...no. We're here to speak with you concerning your son."

"Lincoln? How come? Is my baby okay?" She asked, her impatience replacing itself with perturbation and anxiety. Police was almost never good news.

One of the officers looked down with a sad facial expression. When they walked her to a police cruiser, her mind began racing.

"My son should be at school. Did he cut school or something?"

An officer turned around to place a hand on her shoulder. He looked into her worried eyes.

"I'm sorry to inform you that your son was recently admitted into Royal Woods Medical Hospital. We don't know what happened to him, but I'm afraid he's in pretty bad shape."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Writing this chapter was fun, ranging from the action scene to conveying Lynn's emotions. Might seem unvarying when emotions run wild, but that's what happens in dysfunctional large families, especially when real predicaments are at hand. Those delinquents that attacked Lincoln are lucky Lynn wasn't around, or missing teeth would've been the lightest of their injuries.

But no worries, karma will have something for those boys eventually.


	5. Mixed Connection

**Author's Note:** Hey everyone, hope you enjoyed the last chapter. In this chapter, we will see the outcome of what happened to Lincoln and the impacts it has on some of his loved ones. How will Lynn deal with it? And will Lincoln confide in more people concerning his problems? Certainly wouldn't be a bad idea, but the clock to the final football game is ticking.

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own anything from Nickelodeon. No copyright infringement intended.**

 **Mixed Connection**

* * *

Lynn Jr. slowly walked home from school. It was a dull day filled with obnoxious kids starring at her whenever they saw her, which is why she snuck out before dismissal. Besides her conversations with Bridget and Mr. Pacowski, she spoke to no one. However, being able to establish a good rapport with the football coach was the reason for the goofy grin on her face. Persuading the man to keep a roster spot open was a big achievement.

Whenever she was in a good mood outdoors, she would receive smiles from whoever she saw. Some strangers would even greet her with a typical "How you doing?". A much friendlier environment than the dreadful atmosphere of her school. It was a long walk home whenever she didn't ride in the family van. She would pass restaurants, factories, parks and even other schools. Maybe transferring schools wouldn't be such a bad idea, she refused to think.

But since she made the big mistake of forgetting her wallet at home, she couldn't purchase a beverage to battle the draining hot sun. When she reached a bridge as her home was a long ways away, she decided to take a break under a shaded tree and did as such. When her body temperature had finally reached it's equilibrium, she thought to continue the expedition home. However, her curious mind caught eye of the trash at the bottom of the bridge. She looked down.

 _And m_ _om believes the house is a pigsty? This bridge is a dumb!_ Lynn thought while shaking her head. She saw newspaper, bottles, cans and even an old battered car on it's hood at the bottom of said bridge. What caught her dead in her tracks however was something else she noticed. A backpack was abandoned at the end of a couple tire tracks, and so was a red and white shoe.

Lincoln's shoe.

At that instant, every thought of Lincoln having problems in and outside of school rushed into her mind. Thinking fast, she climbed down to examine the shoe and when she saw his initials written inside the tongue, a tear of anger ran down her cheek. Who dared to lay a hand on him? Ready to punch a hole through a brick wall, she received a text message.

 _Of all the days in the week, you literally choose today to skip your last class?! Something happened to Lincoln, we need to get to him quick._

 _Yeah, you're late with that info._ Lynn replied.

After reading Lori's text, Lynn moved like the wind. When she arrived back to the school, she entered Vanzilla and met the worried faces of her siblings and father.

"I found his stuff. Let's go." She said in monotone as the father of eleven nodded. Her sisters could sense how tense she was, so they rejected to ask any questions. The van's tires screeched down the road as they headed to hospital.

When they arrived to Royal Woods Medical, the waiting room was packed and the nurses were doing all the work. The Louds weren't expecting a packed hospital, so the doctors and staff were in for a surprise when eleven people came rushing inside like a tsunami. Lynn Jr. was to the rim with anger and regret for not keeping a better lookout for her brother. His bullying problem burned like an iron in the back of her mind, but not hot enough to prevent a visit like this.

"Hello, Ms? We're here to see my son Lincoln. My wife recently notified me he was taken here. Can you tell us where he is?" Lynn Sr. asked anxiously, barely able to stand still. The female nurse at the desk smiled.

"If your son is already in our care, then you..."

The nurse widened her eyes in shock at the sight of all the people Lynn Sr. brought with him.

"Sir, is it hard to find a babysitter at this time of year?" The nurse joked.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Lynn Sr. nearly yelled.

"Never mind, mister. Your family can take a seat in the waiting area."

"But we're not patients." Lynn Sr. reminded her.

"Fine, you can stand. I don't care." The nurse snarked.

Lynn Sr. winced.

The nurse soon changed her tone from disrespectful to a nervous stutter when Lynn Jr. approached her.

"Listen woman, I don't know what crawled up your ass before you came to work, but you better tell us where my brother is or _you_ will be the one taking a seat with the patients! Do we have an understanding?" The 13-year old narrowed her eyes and grunted, her face just inches from the nurse.

"Yes, y-yes we do. H-He's in room 313." The hospital employee flashed the Louds a nervous smile before giving them directions.

On the third floor of the hospital, they were greeted by a doctor before being told to sit in a small waiting area next door to where Lincoln was staying. If it weren't for Lynn standing up for her dad, they would've waited an extra hour before coming into contact with a doctor.

They sat down, some sisters with tear-filled eyes and others with strong looks of worry. Lynn stood outside the hospital room with her arms folded while leaning against a wall. With a couple tears staining her cheeks, she never saw this day going this way. She thought about telling her family what Lincoln's issue at school was, despite promising to keep it a secret, but the hospital room door opened before she could do so. Everyone ran to the door, hoping to see Lincoln.

"Mr. Loud?" A doctor with a clipboard asked. All eleven acknowledged him. "Your son is taking a nap at the moment, but your wife was anxious to see you. Only two people can enter at at time-" The doctor was interrupted as everyone ran inside. Understanding their worry, he shook his head and closed the door.

The whimpers and tears a few of the sisters had instantly turned to sobs at the sight of their brother. Lynn Sr. was also quite unsettled as he hugged his wife. There were subtle signs of the bruises he had from his previous beating, but a black eye and a cast on his right arm were the most minor of his new injuries. In company of his head wrapped in gauze and bandages, he was connected to a ventilator as he suffered a couple broken ribs, a bruised kidney and a perforated elbow. His left ankle was sprained and cuts and new bruising summed up the rest of his injuries: Bad, but his condition was stable.

The doctor sympathetically waited a minute before speaking. There was also a nurse present.

"As of now, we're unsure how long it will be til he can return home, but we're hopeful he can leave before the week's end. His injuries include a broken right arm, dislocated right shoulder, a torn-"

"Doctor, please. We don't wish to hear any more." Luan retched, her throat almost closing as she was still moved by tears.

In age order, each sister carefully hugged their brother, wishing they knew what happened.

"Did Lincoln say anything?" Luna asked the doctor before loosening her arms from around Lincoln.

"I'm afraid not." The doctor informed her, catching everyone's attention.

"Why? Does he not know what happened to him?" Leni asked.

The doctor sighed.

"He was brought to our care in an unconscious state, but he's woken since then. Your mother and I agreed it was best we don't question him til he's in a better physical and mental state."

The doctor unknowingly released a shock wave of worry after mentioning Lincoln's mental state being a factor in the time he would spend in emergency care.

Rita nodded as everyone was understanding. Sadness was what swarmed the room, but the only person with growing vengeance and vexation was Lynn Jr. herself. Since they were very young, she vowed to always be Lincoln's protector, to keep him safe from trouble. She couldn't deny the mistakes she made in the past regarding her brother, ahem, like believing he was bad luck, but the thought of how she failed to keep her word ate at her. She spent too much time chasing whoever got her removed from the team, but not enough time focusing on what was most important: The safety of her family. Everyone watched as she solemnly placed Lincoln's missing shoe on his foot.

"I'm sorry, Lincoln. I'm soo sorry." She said, tightly gripping his hospital gown before her whimpers grew to full blown cries. She couldn't tell her sisters she knew of his problem, not yet.

* * *

It was now passed dinner time and the ride back home was gruelingly long. Someone had to stay with Lincoln, and because Rita couldn't bring herself to leave her son's bedside, she was given the responsibility to watch over him, in which she had no problem doing. Everyone's desire to stay with Lincoln til he woke was unwavering, so that some fought not to leave. Lori, the oldest of the Loud siblings, argued why she should stay and Lola and Lana throwing tantrums only added to Lynn Sr. growing headache.

Lincoln never sparked trouble with anyone, so Lynn Sr. was worried to the bone thinking about his children's safety. Those injuries certainly wasn't the result of walking into a door or taking a fall down a flight of steps. He was assaulted and the biggest question wasn't who did it, but the reason behind the action. The sight of his injured son hurt him deep, but telling by the sobs and worry of his daughters, he had to stay strong and hope for a quick recovery. Before he could check on them through the rear view mirror, the vehicle reached the house.

He opened the front door and everyone slowly stepped foot inside the house. Reluctant to speak, they each went to their respective rooms and closed their doors. For the first time in forever, the house was silent enough to hear a pin drop. Lynn Sr. sat alone on the couch. He checked his phone every five minutes, hoping to receive a call from Rita about Lincoln waking up. He was dying to know what happened to his son. All he had knowledge of was Lincoln being found at the bottom of a bridge.

 _He wouldn't jump, would he?_ He asked himself, instantly holding back tears before he could finish that thought. Starring at his phone like an animal eyeing it's prey, the sound of footsteps nearby broke the silence.

"Hey Lynn, you okay?" He asked her as she sat down next to him.

The 13-year old shook her head in low spirits. Her anger lessened as she now had a despondent look in her eyes.

"I understand sweetie." He said while holding her hand tight. She looked up at him when his phone vibrated. They instantly checked the notification.

"Did Linky wake up yet? What did the doctor say? What did mom say?" She asked anxiously.

"It's not your mother, just a voicemail from a scam likely call." He sighed. "Say, you haven't called your brother that nickname in forever."

Lynn Jr. looked down.

"I still do, sometimes." She said, still feeling terrible for what happened.

He sighed. "Oh, I didn't know-"

"It's all my fault. You know, for what happened to him." She interrupted. The father placed a hand on his forehead, expecting someone would soon enough feel responsible for Lincoln's injuries.

"Lynn, I know you've had a lot on your mind recently, but please don't beat yourself up over this." He said in a calm voice.

"You don't understand, dad." She looked away as Lynn Sr. gave his full attention.

"What don't I understand?" He said before his daughter began to cry hysterically out of nowhere. He placed a hand on her shoulder for the means of comfort, knowing she was taking the incident hard.

"He told me he was having problems at school!" She cried in repentance. "The people who were hurting him wouldn't leave him alone! He needed my help and I let him down!"

Lynn Sr. continued to comfort her by hugging her for a long time, but his eyes were widened by the realization. His one and only son was being bullied and didn't think to tell his parents? Lynn Jr. always wanted to protect him, but the adults are truly the only ones that could amicably put an end to such a problem. His phone vibrated again, but this time he was receiving a phone call.

"Let me hurry and take this call." He said in a stern voice before answering his phone.

"No..." She buried her head in her arms. Junior didn't care what people thought of her, but it was different with her siblings. It would only be a matter of time til her sisters would learn about the issues Lincoln was having. She could only imagine how upset and disappointed they would be to know their only brother couldn't receive help from the one person he confided in.

As she desperately hoped the ending result wouldn't be a torn relationship with her family or Lincoln. Her father tugged his phone into his pocket.

"Lincoln is awake." He said, now able to breathe a little easier.

"Take me to him." Lynn Jr. turned on her puppy dog eyes. "..Please?"

Lynn Sr. sighed. "Lynn, we cant. It's too late."

She gave a small frown and stood from the couch to look out the window. Lynn Sr. followed her.

"I know your brother's injuries sound rather...severe, but before we know it, he will make a full recovery and return back home."

She turned her head.

"But our relationship won't be the same. He now knows he can't rely on my help for anything. ANYTHING! He got beat up and he'll probably never forgive me for it."

Lynn Sr. frowned at his daughter's pain, but he could understand where she was coming from. Though, he couldn't help her til he asked her one bearing question.

"Lynn-" He started before being interrupted.

"He didn't even want to tell me. I didn't find out til I saw the bruises on him, which he fought to keep hidden. He knew since the beginning confiding in me wouldn't change anything."

Lynn Sr. now knew Lincoln's enemies were specifically out to hurt him and not just some random person. His sadness subsided as anger took it's place.

"Do you know, the people, that hurt Lincoln?" He asked while narrowing his eyes, sounding less patient and more concerned.

"No, I swear. If I did, Lincoln would be here with us right now...at home. I failed to find out who was hurting him."

Her father's emotions took a u-turn as he paced back and forth, thinking hard.

"We need to take him out of that dang school." He proposed. As a father, he too felt responsible for keeping his son safe.

This was Lynn's biggest regret: Allowing her selfishness to impact Lincoln's life in the long-term. As far as she knew, Lincoln had friends in his school, some people he had known for years. She couldn't allow what was apparently far worse than bullying, to get out of hand any longer. Even if she thought otherwise, she truly was the only person who could turn Lincoln's life around. Sure, his injuries would heal, but she wouldn't be able to sleep soundly til she taught the abusers a lesson. Football was no longer her primary concern.

"No, we can't." She said.

He looked her in the eye. "I don't want you to worry about this anymore, but if you have a better solution, you need to tell me now."

"I already messed up once, but I won't make that mistake again. I have to make things right." She stated before heading to her room.

* * *

A few minutes earlier at a place not too far away, Rita watched her son sleep, his nose whistling every time he exhaled. It always brightened her mood when her kids slept, because that's when she thought they were their cutest. However, at a time like this, her growing depression was beginning to reach Lucy's level. Maybe far or maybe close, someone out there hurt her baby and the thought of not being around to protect him...

Her overprotective mom instincts were kicking in. She never wanted to see her son in a cast or connected to a hospital machine ever again. She was going to keep a much closer eye on him, but before she could expand on that idea, Lincoln woke from the bed with a severe itch in his throat. His coughs didn't alert anyone as they were the only ones in the room, but Rita didn't hesitate to sooth him.

Noticing his head wasn't elevated enough for him to breathe at a steady rate, Rita urgently adjusted his pillows and carefully sat him up, his back now straight.

Lincoln took deep breaths and cleared his throat. "Thanks, mom..."

Rita nodded with an assuring smile. "Anything for you, are you okay?"

Lincoln nodded with the strongest smile he could muster. He knew his mother was worried sick about his emotional state as much as she was for his physical state.

"You sure sweetie?" She wanted to be certain.

Lincoln nodded. "Yeah mom, I'm okay." He said as Rita carefully hugged him, hoping not to induce further injury. He returned the gesture with his non-injured arm.

Rita heard his stomach growl. "I can ask the nurse to bring some food for you."

"No, but how long was I asleep for?" He asked, remembering he no longer had a phone. Rita checked her watch.

"A good while honey, but-"

"Did any of them come to see me?" He looked at her with worried eyes.

"Oh of course Lincoln, but you were resting when they visited. Everyone came to see you."

Lincoln gasped. Rita didn't want her son to believe his siblings didn't care for him, but that wasn't what worried him. It was a given they would soon learn of the issues he was having, especially after seeing him in a hospital bed connected to a heart monitor and a ventilator. Making a big deal of a situation is what his sisters always did, and considering how monumental his predicament actually was, he didn't need another sisternado. Spending days rehabilitating would be a bummer, but what ached his heart was the trajectory of his bullying problem. There was no end in sight.

All Lincoln could do was crack a weak smile.

Rita held her son's hand. "Feeling any better from the time you arrived to now?"

What followed him stretching his left arm was a cry of pain. He slowly lowered his arm, quickly bringing his hand to his chest and ribs.

He grunted. "Not really. Everything hurts, but it's not like it's the first time I felt pain this debilitating." He said, his black eye nearly giving his left eye a slit to see through.

Rita nodded and kissed her son on the cheek. She soon realized what he said.

"What do you mean it's not the first time?" Rita raised a brow, feeling puzzled and a little blindsided. She wanted to give him more time to heal before asking him the most bearing questions. However, she wasn't ready for what she was about to hear next.

Lincoln sighed. "I mean...this isn't the first time I was attacked. I've been reclusive for the past few days because I didn't want anyone to know I had bruises and scratches all over me. The kids that chased me during that peewee football game, even when I managed to get away from them, they still wouldn't let my mistake go. It's like someone puts them to the task, to abuse me whenever they see the opportunity."

Rita starred at her son with her mouth agape. "My gosh...you should've told me about this sooner."

"They hate me. I fought one of them to let me go, but all he did was laugh with this evil look in his eyes. When I realized I couldn't do anything, he did what I wanted him to do. He finally let me go and down I went. The last thing I remember was falling...and now I'm here."

That exact moment, the hospital could've been engulfed in flames, but Rita would've noticed a thing. She was the reason why Lincoln participated in that stupid football game to begin with. She always thought Lynn suffering a broken ankle during the ordeal was the worst result, but it was now apparent how bad the event actually was.

"And to think telling you this would make a difference. You chased me out of the house this morning, all because you didn't want to have to deal with anyone. Well, look at me now! I'm not sure if I can even walk, all because you wanted me to exercise more."

Rita didn't only pity her son, she felt entirely at fault. She since learned to accept her son for the way he is, that it didn't matter if sports wasn't in his best interest. It dawned on her intruding in his life had a severe negative impact on him. Yes indeed, she was a bad parent for not making his safety and comfort number one and she was now feeling remorse far worse than anyone else.

"Sweetie, do these people attend the same school as you?"

He sighed irritably. "No."

"Then what school do they go to?" She pressured him to answer.

"Umm.."

"And what are their names? You must know something about these people."

"I DON'T KNOW, MOM! I DON'T KNOW!" He cried. "The abuse will never stop. It it weren't for you, none of this would've ever happened, now can you please stop asking me questions and leave me alone?!"

Rita was shocked and upset, but also understanding all at the same time. She would never take such words from her son, but all she could do was sit back in her chair and quietly cry to herself. She was suppose to look out for him and protect him and she instead inadvertently did the exact opposite. It would take a bit of time for the middle child to heal physically, but a much longer time to heal emotionally for the both of them.

* * *

 _5 days before final game..._

It was only the middle of the week and close to the end of the school year, so it was a given some students would be too lazy to attend their classes, but Lynn Jr. had a strong motivation to go to school. She had an exam and a few unknown kids to pound into the ground. _Someone is going to **pay** for what happened to my brother._

She walked passed the random kids that starred at her in the hallways. They flinched every time she stopped to face them. One quick head spin and they would quickly look away, just an easy way to keep those losers in check. She wanted to focus on her brother's predicament as that was now her top priority. When she entered the same hallway her locker was on, the first bell rung. Time to cram two minutes of studying into your heavily packed schedule.

When she approached her locker, the corners of her mouth shot up in a complacent smile. Her locker door shined brighter than a crystal ball. Forget blasting off graffiti, what stood before her was a new silver titanium locker door clear as a mirror. _Good luck trying to damage this you cowardly imbeciles._

Opening it, her belongings that were once scattered on the floor were now neatly placed inside. Why would she want to leave a school with such caring staff?

Because there was also a note inside. A sticky note at the bottom of the locker. Without having to bend her knees, she leaned down to pick it up. The handwriting on the note was almost as bad as chicken scratch, but decipherable. Her pupils reduced in size as her face indicated that of shock and pure outrage.

 _"You're a cheater and everyone knows it. Don't fuck with me and forget about football or your brother will face a far worse beating_."

After reading the little gift, Lynn balled her fist, threw her leg back and kicked the locker door closed. Apparently titanium isn't as strong as one would think. She managed to put a nice large dent inside of it with one blow from her fist. The newfound anger she felt couldn't be described. Fury? Nope. Enraged? Well, that would be an understatement. The note that laid on the hallway floor, now torn into small pieces, wasn't a question, compliment or a warning of any kind. It was a direct threat to herself and someone she deeply cared about. All that plagued her mind afterwards was what the words meant.

Someone has a personal hatred for the Loud Family. It was a good thing she wasn't on a baseball team at the moment, because her bat was soon going to taste blood.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** The truth comes in all shapes in sizes and in this case, the truth Rita faced took the form of an armored truck. Veracity hit her hard, but only facing the realization can help strengthen their mother and son bond. And for Lynn, it was a good thing she told her father what was going on.

She finally has space to breathe and to think more clearly, but now she truly knows the extent of her issues. Her decisions at school have a strong impact on her brother's safety and possibly the safety of her entire family. Now, it's time to figure out who didn't have the guts to threaten her in person.


	6. Double Dealer

**Author's Note:** First off, I apologize for taking so long to update this story, and all of my stories in that matter. The fall college semester is coming to a close and I finally have more time to write.

Just a quick recap: Lynn has five days til her final game, but she has to battle the stress of proving her innocence and finding out who hurt her brother and threatened her. This chapter will definitely answer some questions.

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Nickelodeon. No copyright infringement intended.**

 **Double Dealer  
**

* * *

Lynn Sr. wiped sweat from his brow after dropping off the remainder of his children. Normally, he'd feel relief about knowing they were somewhere safe, but the pain he felt about his son laying in a hospital bed made him wonder if homeschooling wasn't such a bad idea after all. As his younger children ascended into their school, being he dropped off his teenage daughters at an earlier time, he wasted no time stomping the gas pedal. He wanted to see Lincoln.

And he was in luck. Little traffic got him to his destination in under 15 minutes. As he entered the third floor of the hospital, he saw Rita talking to a doctor. He didn't wish to interrupt their conversation as it was likely related to their son.

"So, he won't need painkillers?" Rita asked the doctor precisely.

"We try our best to avoid issuing those to patients, especially children. If we have any updates on his physical state, we'll let you know." The doctor informed her before leaving.

Rita took a deep breath as she processed the information the gentleman shared with her. She turned around to see someone much more comforting.

"Honey!" Rita said with open arms.

"Is he awake? Can I see him?" Lynn Sr. said, completely ignoring his wife. He was surprised to see Lincoln in his bed sound asleep.

"Doctor says we shouldn't wake him." Rita replied.

"Dang it. The second time I'm here and I still can't talk to him." He complained. "But how was he feeling before he fell asleep?"

"He's still recovering."

"I know that. I mean emotionally." He clarified, making Rita uncomfortable..

"Oh, I see." She said quietly. She didn't have any fond memories of her latest conversation with Lincoln.

They slowly left the hospital room door and didn't say another word til they reached their van.

"Know what?" Lynn Sr. said after closing the driver door. "The girls wanted to see him this morning. When I pick them up from school, we can stop here before heading home."

"He's not okay." Rita interrupted. Lynn Sr. eyes widened.

"What do you mean?!" He blurted in surprise. Rita raised a finger before he could panic.

"Last night, I wanted to know how he was feeling as much as you did. I talked to him and, well..."

"Rita..." Lynn Sr. grew impatient.

"His body still hurt and he was still processing what happened to him, but I wouldn't let him speak. I pressured him to open up to me when he wasn't ready to do so. He got angry. I don't know what I was thinking."

This was all a bit vague to Lynn Sr.

"Angry. Define angry."

"He got mad, alright Lynn?"

Rita starred down at her lap as Lynn Sr. observed her body language. He always knew when she was sad, in glee or scared. He always knew when she felt a certain way about something, or when she had something else to say. At the moment, he knew there was something she wanted to get off her chest.

"What is it babe?" He asked calmly. His comfort and newfound patience drew her in.

"Lincoln...he's going to be angry with me for a long time." She said, sounding as if she was ready to cry.

Lynn Sr. sighed.

"Whatever he said, I'm sure he didn't mean it-"

"He blames me for everything that happened to him. The bruises, the injuries, our poor baby told me he was being abused and we missed all signs of it."

Abuse. A near tragedy no parent wants their children to face. Lincoln was always somewhat reclusive and kept his thoughts and predicaments to himself. Not at the level Lucy is, as he's often open to sharing his newest plans with others, but he made it a priority to avoid worrying people. It was the same reason Lynn Jr. had to use force in order to find out why he had so many bruises. He was too young to hide such information from his elders. It would be the death of him.

Lynn Sr. wanted to share his thoughts on Lincoln pointing the finger at Rita, but the bigger issue was in mind.

"Please don't cry. I hate seeing you like this." Lynn Sr. said while consoling his wife.

"He has every right to be angry at me!" She said, struggling to hold back tears.

"Lincoln did not mean to lash out the way he did, you know this. For certain, we are going to make this right."

"How?" Rita wiped her eyes. She watched in silence as Lynn Sr. dialed a number we all know too well.

"You sure that's the best idea?" She asked with uncertainty. Lynn Sr. nodded.

"Absolutely."

* * *

It was 12 noon and Lynn Jr. wanted to skip school, again. Her hand ached from punching the locker door and receiving a lecture from the school dean on damaging school property didn't help relieve the pain. Though, she had other thoughts to prevent her from focusing on it too much. What kind of diabolical monster would wish to hurt her brother, to target her family? She tried backtracking, but there was nothing she could've done to anyone to ignite such hatred in a person.

Deep down, she knew leaving the school and forgetting about football would be the wisest decision, but she wanted to take things to a new level. Playing detective and finding the bastard that hurt her brother and her school life was the road she preferred to travel down.

The school bell rung and the hallways flooded with rowdy, hungry kids. It was lunch time, the perfect opportunity to sneak out of school. She swiftly moved her way through the crowd, also with a little pushing and shoving. By the time the cafeteria was halfway filled, she had already reached an exit. However, someone had her in their sights.

"Lynnsanity!" A feminine voiced called out. Lynn slowly turned around.

"Margo, hi." She said inattentively as they exchanged high fives.

"I saw you yesterday with coach. Things goin well?" The bucktooth girl asked with a smile.

"Could we continue this outside? I really don't want to stick around."

"Sure. The food truck has much better food anyways."

The two girls ordered sub sandwiches and sat near a picnic table. Margo was one to devour a meatball sub, but she found herself too distracted by the look on Lynn's face. She looked as if she had six kids to feed and her check was late.

"I thought you'd be back on the team by now." Margo frowned.

"Yeah, so did I." Lynn said, unconsciously crushing the soda can she held.

"What did coach say to you?" Margo asked in her usual southern accent.

"Nothing promising. I need to prove who got me in trouble or there's no way I can rejoin the team."

"The team you built." Margo said with an attitude towards the team coach.

"Thanks."

"But don't let it bring you down. Coach trusts you and you're a smart gal. You'll be back in uniform in a jiffy."

"I admire your optimism. Wish it wasn't the only thing keeping me from coming back..."

Margo's interest in Lynn's situation grew. Was there something else plaguing the all-star athlete? Lynn struggling to eat her favorite meal told her there was something else seriously wrong.

"Is there something coach told you that you're not telling me?" Margo raised an eyebrow in question.

"No, well, ugh you're my best friend Margo. I don't want to trouble you with my issues."

"Spill the beans Lynn, maybe I can help you."

Lynn Jr. sighed and looked around before holding eye contact with her friend. She leaned in towards Margo to speak quietly.

"You know Lincoln, my brother?"

"Awkward white-haired kid? I sure do."

"Shut up."

"My bad Lynn. Is something the matter with him?"

"Yeah, he's in the hospital and-"

"What for? An ulcer? Car accident? Oh no, food poisoning?!"

"No Margo, he was attacked by someone and he's in bad shape. Please don't tell anyone, I don't want word getting around."

"Your secret is safe with me. With all due respect, what does this, like, have to do with the scoundrel that framed you?" Margo asked shyly.

Thinking of the answer to her question nearly infuriated Lynn. But, the first step in the right direction would be controlling her emotions.

"There was a note on my locker this morning...from someone anonymous. It was a direct threat to me, my family, my safety...my brother. Whoever hurt Lincoln is responsible for framing me in the first place."

Margo's jaw dropped.

"What the fu-"

"I know. You may not see me in school much for the next week, but you'll see me in that football uniform in time for the final game sis." Lynn Jr. said with true confidence in her voice before producing a heavy belch and hugging her best friend goodbye.

"If anything happens, call. I've been practicing jiu jitsu!" Margo shouted.

Lynn Jr. put a thumbs up as she continued down the block, unaware that someone was nearby to witness the conversation. Just across the street, the older kids were having recess in the school yard. Luan always stood near the gate, within earshot of whatever was going on inside and outside of the school. She watched her sister walk further away.

"Where are you going?" She whispered with narrowed eyes.

* * *

Lincoln woke up in his hospital bed alone, his eyes filled with crust. The tranquility of the quiet room was nice, but his bones ached and, well, you don't need an entire image of how bad this boy is feeling right now. He could barely hold anything due to the condition of his hands as a result of breaking his fall, but he had some luck. His head was elevated just enough to see the television.

"Yay, another soap opera." Lincoln said sarcastically before coughing.

The day had just begun for him, but he expected it to go as any other hospital stay. People would visit sometimes and the nice nurse would bring nasty food for him to eat. Lincoln sometimes wondered if the food is what kept him there.

But the true reason for his stay hurt him too much to think about, even though he only knew a fraction of the potential trouble he was in. Lincoln had forgotten about Clyde at this point in his healing, but the face of the delinquent who threw him to his possible death was tattooed in his memory. What would it take for those hooligans to stop abusing him? It was frightening to think even his aggressive but intuitive sister couldn't help him. Though, he was sure she tried her best.

Now starring at the TV, his train of thought was derailed as a nurse slowly walked in.

"Hello Lincoln. So glad to see you're awake. Let's get that belly of yours filled up."

The moment he saw the unfresh and cold mash potatoes, he nearly puked a little.

"No thanks, I'm not hungry." He said while clearing his throat, his stomach demonstrating a whale's mating call.

"You sure sweetheart?"

"No offense to the chef, but isn't food suppose to make you feel better? That glop just makes me sick and my chest hurt a little."

"Well then, maybe I'll just get you a glass of water. How do you like that?" She said before speed walking out of the room.

"Hope you don't spill it and hurt yourself on your way back here." Lincoln muttered.

"You have a visitor!" The nurse yelled from the hall.

Lincoln gasped. Everyone he knew was either in school or at work, so he didn't know who it could possibly be. At the moment, he wanted nothing more than one of his dad's well-cooked meals and a quiet atmosphere. He wanted time to rest his mind and think about how sorry he was for making his mother cry the night before. Venting is something everyone does from time to time for the means of letting out frustration, but he knew his mother didn't deserve the blame for his hospital stay.

When Lincoln saw who it was, he urgently sat up, ignoring the instant pain he felt in his torso. His sister quickly closed the door and ran to aid him.

"Lynn, what are you doing here?" He asked wide-eyed.

Before he could react, she wrapped her arms around him and showed no signs of ever letting go. Lincoln couldn't return the favor as he felt his ribs were being crushed by the tight embrace. It was when Lincoln yelled that she realized what she was doing.

"I'm sorry bro, but I really needed to see you." She said before sitting on the bedside.

"Is anyone else with you?"

"Nope. I practically ran here." She said, her face red as ketchup and her bushy bangs a mess.

"...Why?"

"Because I needed to make sure nothing else happened to you!"

Lincoln could see the immense worry swimming in her eyes. He tried his best to put a comforting arm around her, but to no avail. The arm and chest pain that struck kept him in place.

"I'm alright Lynn, I'm safe here. I'm glad to see you, even though the doctor and that weird nurse are doing a great job taking care of me."

Lynn covered her mouth and starred at her brother intensely, her eyes becoming puffier, as if she had just finished watching the saddest movie in existence.

"Lynn, I'm okay."

"Days ago, I promised I would protect you from whoever hurt you. Now just sitting here, watching you, it reminds me how horribly I failed to keep that promise."

Lincoln frowned.

"And what did I do instead? Stress over stupid football, a sport where all you do is tackle...and run...and receive brain injuries...and run...and tackle and-" Lynn shook her head. "Point is, you came to me with a problem and I didn't give you my maximum effort to fix it. I always give my 100%, always."

"Don't pity yourself." Lincoln said in monotone.

"Umm, right." Lynn nervously scratched the back of her head.

"I know you wanted to keep me safe from those...criminals, but none of this is your fault. I just made enemies with the wrong people and have not the slightest idea of what I'm gonna do about it. Heh heh, guess I should've ran the right direction in that peewee football game." He chuckled with a worried look.

Lincoln had no idea that Lynn's football career was linked to his ruthless beatings. Lynn couldn't bare to look her brother in the eye without telling him the truth.

"Anyways, was school closed today or something?"

"No." She sighed. "Little bro, you need to know the real reason why I came here."

Lincoln didn't like the sound of this.

"But before I say it, just know that I love you even more than my lucky jockstrap."

"Weird." Lincoln said.

The room went silent for a few seconds before Lynn closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I was released from the football team, but because I've been trying to get back in, you got beat up for it."

Whenever Lincoln moved, he often underwent a great deal of pain, but that didn't stop him from grabbing Lynn by her leather varsity jacket and throwing her to the floor. He was now seething with rage, an emotion Lynn was far too familiar with.

"You mean I'm not being abused because of a mistake I made, but because of you? You monster!"

"Lincoln, wait-"

"I should've known you had something to do with me being beaten to a pulp and later thrown off a bridge! First, you have me kicked out of _our_ home because of your mindless superstitions and now, I'm in a hospital bed because of your selfish love for a sport! You are absolutely the worst sister a person can dream of!"

Lynn Jr. could only sob to the words that kicked against her eardrums. Her guilt continued to grow as she lied on the cold floor, realizing that her brother would hate her forever. Those harsh words stung like an iron burn. What was she going to do next? Run away crying? Fight her injured brother? Commit suicide?

She wouldn't have to do that. Culpability already had the task at hand.

In real time, Lincoln was urgently tapping her on the shoulder.

"Earth to Lynn! Earth to Lynn!"

"W-What happened?!" Lynn yelled out as sweat collected on her forehead.

"You were going to tell me something, then you started starring into space for two minutes. I'm confused Lynn, what were you about to say to me?"

Lynn's eyes immediately widened.

"I have to go! I'm sorry I ever came!" She said before fleeing the room.

Her lightning fast footsteps could be heard throughout the halls as she breezed passed whoever saw her. She kept her head down, hiding the hot boiling tears that flooded her cheeks. The young athlete was dying to tell her brother what really landed him in the hospital, but she couldn't face the results of it. She was certain her nightmare vision would become a reality if she was to do such a thing. Perhaps she wasn't as strong as she presumed she was.

Lincoln lied in his bed starring at the open door, wondering when he'd see her again.

"I love you too Lynn, even more than any Ace Savvy comic book."

* * *

In a learning institution not too far away, Clyde McBride was last to arrive to his final class. It gave him an uncanny feeling to enter class late as everyone watched him nervously take a seat. He had to go to the nurse after a group of kids tripped him on his way up the stairs. A cut and a bruise on his knee concluded the injuries he sustained, but all it took was a single drop of blood to make him faint.

It was Clyde's third visit to the school nurse in the last two days, and it wasn't because of consistent clumsiness. Just days ago, Lincoln had to deal with middle school bullies as well as elementary school bullies. A common trend was once anyone was picked on, dimwitted kids would follow suit, never questioning why the harassment was happening in the first place. When Lincoln was no longer present, the bullies grew bored and went for the next guy they saw: Clyde. Bullying was the ultimate (and only) reason Clyde aimed to stay clear of Lincoln. Not his best plan.

Eventually, the visually impaired boy began to notice how differently everyone viewed him. He was often treated like an outcast and avoided during lunch and recess. He began to wonder if staying home like Lincoln was the safest thing to do. Little did he know, Lincoln wasn't playing hooky at home.

"Let's not stare at the door every time someone enters the room, class." Ms. Johnson said before beginning her lesson.

A few kids shot glares at Clyde, in which he opted to lower his body in his seat. For the first time in his life, he received negative thoughts when thinking about school. It was no longer the fun place to learn like it used to be. His eyes would meet the wall clock every fifteen seconds.

"Forty more minutes...2400 more seconds til I'm out." Clyde muttered to himself.

"Zip it four eyes, some of us need these notes to study for our next quiz." A kid wearing a red-stripped shirt complained.

Clyde gave the kid the silent treatment.

"What's wrong, Clyde? Miss your buddy Lincoln?"

"No, Lance. He's not my friend."

"Well he should be. Both of you get beat up, and he's like you're only true friend."

Clyde had developed the perfect retort, but that last comment got his gears moving. Maybe the kid who desperately needed class notes was right. All the memories they made throughout the years, simply thrown away because he feared a beating. His vision of the situation finally cleared. Lincoln was his best friend, and he owed him his dearest apology.

"I made him cry the last time I saw him." Clyde said.

"Hahaha, now that I believe." Lance said. "Wait, you beat him up?"

"What? Of course not! You've seen the stupid kids that kept bothering him." Clyde sighed. "He doesn't even go to school anymore."

"Well, duh. If I were in the hospital, I wouldn't go either." Lance shook his head.

It took Clyde a few seconds to realize what Lance said. He starred at the kid, wondering if he was telling the truth.

"He's in the hospital?" Clyde muttered with undeniable worry.

"Yep, he's definitely your friend." Lance said. "The concert that girl had, what's her name? Right, it's Luna. She uploaded a pic on SwiftyPic."

Clyde nodded. "And?"

"Some picture of Lincoln knocked out in a hospital bed. She wanted everyone's best wishes? I forget, but he looked pretty rough. I almost feel bad for him."

"Well you should!" Clyde yelled, loud enough that everyone had their attention locked on the two boys. When he realized he had grabbed Lance by his shirt collar, he slowly let the scared child go and quickly apologized before taking a seat.

"Clyde McBride! Go to the Principal's office immediately!" Ms. Johnson ordered.

"Yes ma'am." He urgently packed his bag and left the room.

Walking in the hallway, Clyde thought about everything the boy said. The kid was insensitive, but he reminded him of a very valuable lesson he'd never forget: Not all friendships are built to last a lifetime, but the one he had with Lincoln was, and he'd be an idiot to throw it away.

"He needs me." He said, swiftly walking passed the principal's office and out the front door.

* * *

The bridge that Lincoln fell from still had tons of trash at the bottom. It was like an alternative waste dump for the sanitation crews, an eyesore in a suburban city like Royal Woods. It was often a hangout spot for pot dealers and gangs, a place to avoid whenever you're walking with a young child, or alone in general.

And on a cloudy afternoon like the one today, there certainly was activity at the bottom of the bridge.

"C'mon, just take a hit. You won't regret it."

Lamont shrugged. "Nah bruh, I'm trying to keep my mind clear today."

The rather short kid offering the fat blunt narrowed his eyes at him.

"Pussy!"

"What?!" Lamont yelled before tackling the kid. They rolled around in the trash, exchanging punches as people circled them chanting a typical, "Fight! Fight! Fight!". It was simply entertainment to the audience, which consisted of people that were either high, drunk, or simply up to no good. No one bothered to break up the fight, as any attempt would likely result in a larger brawl. However, when a car entered the trash dump and a girl stepped out of the passenger seat, everyone immediately stepped away from the squabble and went to their previous activities.

"Boys!" The girl yelled, the sound of her heels echoing around the dump as she approached them. She picked up the fat blunt and took a hit before laughing hysterically- and coughing.

"That's mine bitch!" The kid jumped up, forgetting he was in a fight to begin with.

"I don't care, now go away. I'm here to speak with Lamont." She said, shoulder checking the kid before approaching Lamont. He looked up at her.

"Need a hand?" She grinned with a diabolical look in her eyes.

"I was winning before you got here." He rolled his eyes, allowing the girl to help him up.

The two walked a few feet away to someplace quiet, someplace private.

"I suppose you're here for my pay." Lamont said with a victory smile while taking out his wallet.

"You think you deserve it?" She said.

Lamont paused.

"How badly injured was he?" The girl starred him dead in the eye. Lamont looked at the highway above.

"He fell from all the way up there. I'd be surprised if he could still walk." He laughed. "Yo, the kid was freaking crawling when I looked down."

Bridget grinned.

"Good. Hopefully that bitch at my school got the message crystal clear. I'm the best player on that football team and soon everyone will know it."

"Well..." Lamont thought aloud.

"Excuse me? I could just not pay you." She reminded him with a mean glare.

"Yeah right. I did the dirty work, so I get the bread."

Silence.

"Fine. You're the best football player around. The best athlete." Lamont said while rolling his eyes.

"Good, now was that so hard?" She handed him $500, threw her hair back and walked toward the car. Lamont ogled her, noticing how great her figure was in those tight jeans.

"You're also paying my boys, right? Two of them broke their teeth over that Lincoln boy!"

Bridget chuckled.

"Don't you worry about them, they'll receive a visit from me, and so will the Loud girl."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I really enjoyed writing this. Adding mystery and a little action into a chapter is always fun. At first, I was going to have Lynn Jr. confide in her brother regarding the note she received, but it would most likely worry Lincoln more. Considering that guilt is a common feeling, it would make sense for her to feel uncomfortable telling him so soon.

It's a good thing Clyde finally came to his senses on how valuable a friendship can be. And as for Lynn Jr, if she doesn't figure out Bridget fast, the entire family could be in trouble.


	7. Slip of the Tongue

**Author's Note:** Welcome back. In this chapter, Lincoln will finally receive a visit from his sisters while in a conscious state. Let's see how it goes.

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Nickelodeon. No copyright infringement intended.**

 **Slip of the Tongue**

* * *

As the late spring sun rays burned the tires and scorched the hood of Vanzilla, Lynn Sr. finished picking up his girls from school. He and Rita were both under tremendous stress after a long talk with a couple neighborhood detectives concerning Lincoln's attack. The police were suppose to comfort them. Instead, they found their-selves bombarded with questions and lessons on better parenting.

"What time do I send my son to sleep at night? What does that have to do with anything?" He asked his wife while reflecting. Rita massaged her temples, feeling a headache setting in.

"Honey, keep your eyes on the road. We'll discuss this later."

It didn't help they had the usual stresses that came with adulthood, but Royal Wood's finest making them feel responsible for their son's pain was pushing them to an emotional breaking point. Their care for their son's safety was far greater than anyone's. It just didn't make sense to seek for help and be expected to have all the answers at the same time. The detectives promised to investigate, but the two began to fear it would leave them with no answers - and compound on Lincoln's stress. Police always want to conduct an interview with the victim.

Though, couldn't quite be said for the girls. They were happy to finally visit their brother while he was awake. This would be their first time talking to him since the attack. After exiting the vehicle at the hospital entrance, Lola was the first to enter the building when half a dozen paramedics were rushing someone inside, one of them pushing her out of the way. A man laid on a stretch, badly injured.

"Lola, what's the hold up?" Luna inquired.

"The man on the stretch."

Sure enough, everyone turned their heads to see what she was talking about. They each cringed at the sight of an axe in the man's chest.

"That's a lot of blood." Lucy said with little sensitivity in her voice.

"That thing hanging from his socket, don't tell me that's his eyeball." Lori quivered.

Everyone bent their bodies in a servile manner, immediately feeling uneasy by the atmosphere of the place.

"Let's make sure Lincoln never has to come back here."

After squeezing inside a small, sultry elevator, the girls reached Lincoln's room with joyful smiles and a tad of worry. What if he was traumatized over what happened and wasn't ready to speak to anyone? Hoping for the opposite with crossed fingers, the girls watched a doctor step out of Lincoln's room with a clipboard in his hand.

"He's been talking about you girls for the last half hour. Make him happy."

Due to the positioning of his bed, Lincoln couldn't see who his doctor was speaking to. Just a second later, he couldn't even see his doctor. All he saw were the surprised faces of his sisters as they crowded around him like paparazzi. They pounded him with questions, not that he'd be able to muster an answer with several mouths running.

"Guys, guys, one at a time please." He said before producing a cough.

Luan raised a finger to speak, but Lori held a hand in her face to stop her.

"We are literally sooooo happy to see you!" She said as all her sisters hugged him. Their company gave him a warm feeling inside.

"Wish I could return this gesture." He replied.

Knowing he was joking about his injuries, the girls starred at him for a while, making him slightly nervous. It was an emotional roller coaster whenever they saw him in such pain. A couple of them adjusted his bed sheets to his liking and even poured him a glass of water. Not wanting anyone to cry, someone broke the silence.

"Look, Leni baked a cake for you. I'm sure it's way better than the trash you've been eating." Lana smiled as Leni revealed a lemon frosting, five-layer cake. Lincoln's eyes widened at the culinary art, his stomach beginning to rumble.

"I made it in culinary class Linky, or was it cooking class...maybe it was in food class." Leni froze in deep thought. Luna took the cake from her and sat it on an adjoining table.

Lincoln blushed at the love he was getting.

"This is sweet, thanks Leni."

"We also stopped at the book store to get you the latest edition of that comic you love so much." Luan added, handing him a book in plastic. Lincoln found the strength to hold the new Ace Savvy comic, his eyes glistening in amazement.

"You guys aren't even this nice on my birthday. Maybe I should get injured more often." He giggled.

The smiles instantly flipped, the noisy room coming to a quiet hush. Lincoln nervously sunk under his sheets, his eyes and white, wispy hair the only thing visible.

"I-I'm sorry, I was just kidding. Another poor attempt at comedy for me."

There was a moment of silence before everyone's sudden laughter filled the room.

"It's alright Lincoln, that was hilarious." Luan chuckled while hitting his shoulder.

"Yeah...I apologize for not being awake the first time you visited. I probably hit my head when I fell."

"Wait, you fell?" Luna blurted out, leaving everyone in surprise.

"The doctor didn't tell us what happened to you. He only told us about your injuries." Leni added.

Hours ago, Lincoln watched his 13-year old sister flee his bedside for no apparent reason. He assumed she was overwhelmed over what happened to him. Looking at his sisters huddled over him, he didn't want them to do the same.

"Well it isn't as serious as it looks. I just got a fragile body, it's no one's fault."

Lori folded her arms, now glaring at her brother like a private investigator.

"My bruises are even starting to go away. My eye is no longer swollen shut."

"What about your arm?" Lucy asked.

"Look, I..." Lincoln sighed. "Remember that time Lynn broke her tibia? She was out of the hospital in just a couple days, so don't worry. I'll be out of here in no time."

The girls smiled at the memory of Lynn running out of the hospital. Nothing could keep her down.

"Oh yeah." Luna laughed. "What was the cause of that injury again Lynn?"

When no one heard a response, something dawned on them. It now made sense why there was more room in the car ride to the hospital. Lincoln smacked his forehead after realizing what he said.

"Where is Lynn?" Lola asked, making everyone look around. Leni checked under Lincoln's bed.

"Lynn? You under here?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Leni." Luna said, jumping to the sound of Leni hitting her head. Lori walked across the room to peer through a window.

"If she didn't come with us, then where did she go?" Lori muttered before raising her voice. "I thought she would want to see how her little brother is doing."

Lincoln looked around nervously, hoping no one would question him. He had no clue of his sister's current location.

Meanwhile, the matriarch and patriarch sat on a hallway bench alongside their son's doctor.

"Breathing is good. I'm also glad one of your daughters brought him food to eat. He's refused to consume any of the hospital food." The doctor informed them.

"Oh dear." Rita muttered.

"The swelling of certain injuries are already in the process of going away, which is pretty quick in a twenty-four hour time span. With the help of a mobility aid, Lincoln should be out of here in just a couple days."

Lynn and Rita sighed in relief.

"This is wonderful news doc. Our boy will be back to his old self in no time." The father of eleven victoriously threw his fist in the air.

"That's one way to look at it. Go inside and see him." The doctor left the two alone after a nurse informed him on the health of another patient. They quietly faced each other.

"Lincoln will not be upset to see you. You're his mother."

"I'll let the girls have this moment with him. You heard the gentlemen, Lincoln misses his sisters."

Lynn felt there was no convincing his wife to do anything.

"The detectives, you think they'll find the people that hurt him? You know those injuries aren't just from one person." He asked, seriously wanting to put some hurt on the criminals. With an air conditioner blowing through her thick blonde locks, Rita looked at him in deep thought.

"It's their job. We'll be notified when they find something." Rita responded.

"And what do we do in the meantime? Sit around and wait?"

"I'm going to hire someone to home school Lincoln. After all, we did the same with Lola."

"Um, I'm not sure if you should jump on that idea yet. He has friends you know."

He certainly used to.

"His safety is more important." Rita stated. Lynn agreed, but he didn't want to deprive Lincoln of the things he enjoyed. He felt it was their son's decision to decide if home school was what he wanted.

"Point taken." He nodded before a memory surfaced. "There's something you need to know. You aren't the only one who feels responsible for what happened."

Rita raised a brow. "What do you mean."

"The night you weren't home, Junior showed some serious emotion towards Lincoln. She thinks Lincoln getting jumped is her fault."

Rita's eyes widened. Lynn Jr did act despondent for someone who made it to a championship football game, the one thing the 13-year old talked about all year.

"Why would she feel that way? She had nothing to do with his attack."

"That's what I tried to explain to her. She wouldn't listen."

The two sat together for a while longer before Lynn's absence hit them at once. They jumped from the bench, the realization nearly cutting their air supply. When they were able to finally speak, they yelled in unison.

"Where's our daughter?!"

* * *

Everyone hurried to the van and sped off faster than a pit crew could replace tires and in under half an hour, police cars flooded the street of the Loud residence. The relatively small town was more alive than New York on New Years Eve as helicopters swarmed the skies and ten to twelve squad cars were parked in front of the house, two closing the road and another in the driveway, locking the attention of neighbors within a two-block radius. This happened hours before suppertime and the police were still at the house hours after.

Lynn and Rita were complaining and arguing with the police about Lynn's whereabouts for as long as they could. Leni and Luan had to make dinner for the rest of the family as Lisa took time to supply Luna and Lori with binoculars. The three girls stationed on the roof of the house, scoping the area for their missing sister. All attempts for preventing an amber alert from going out were taken.

"We've been at this for three hours." Luna said weakly, her binoculars falling from her hands.

"You pick those back up right now sis!" Lori ordered, not taking a second away from scanning the vicinity. Lisa chimed in.

"As important as this is, Luna needs the proper nourishment and sustenance to give herself energy in order to continue assisting us. Eldest sister, looks like it's just you and me." The preschooler informed Lori, who didn't want to hear a word of it.

"Alright, whatever. Let's keep looking. I don't want another one of our siblings getting hurt."

Though Luna was hungry and feeling lightheaded, no one could eat their food as what they feared most filled their minds. Lynn Sr. and Rita felt the same as they talked with police.

"Our daughter is out there all alone and it's dark out!"

"Mr. Loud, I understand your worry and concern but our men cannot stand out here any longer. It's been a long time. We can send out an amber alert."

Rita tried to make Lynn let go of the officer's shirt collar as he was ready to send the man down the front steps. When he finally loosened his grip, the officer adjusted his shirt and hat with a snarl.

"Putting your situation into account, I'll let that go, but don't you ever put your hands on an officer. You hear me, Loud?"

They nodded.

"This is what I can do for you. Our men will stick around for ten more minutes. That's it."

The officer bit into one of Luan's pies and casually took a stroll down the block as Rita mouthed a few curse words at the man. The cop certainly wasn't sensitive towards his work, which is why karma was about to strike. Just several houses away, he tripped over a broken piece of sidewalk and caught a mouth full of concrete. His eyes met the pie that lied in the ground, then a pair of feet. He looked up to see a sad, debilitated figure standing over him.

He quickly stood to his feet, spit out some rocks and brushed off his uniform.

"Are those cop cars here because of me?" Lynn Jr. asked shyly, her voice narrowly above a whisper.

"Oh my god, are you Lynn Loud?"

Starring down the barely lit road, Rita and Lynn Sr. held their looks of anger and worry as they saw the officer walking back.

"I guess our ten minutes is up." The father said, fighting back tears. Rita squinted her eyes.

"Wait, who is he walking with?"

The thirty or so police officers produced a sigh of relief when the two adults ran to hug their youngest teenage daughter.

"Found her. Good day." The officer said. Rita's glare of anger towards the man faded away.

"You mean she found you. Honey, where were you?"

Lynn's eyes were red and her cheeks were stained by dried tears.

"I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry for scaring you like this."

They walked inside to give their-selves privacy. They needed time for their hearts to slow down after the last few unnerving hours.

"Take a seat dear." Lynn Sr. nodded his head towards the couch. Now sitting on the living room sofa, Lynn felt uncomfortable feeling everyone's eyes on her.

"Lori! Lisa! You can come down now!" Yelled Luna, stuffing her mouth with a spoonful of pudding.

"Lynn, where were you all of this time? We were worried sick." Rita questioned.

Before Lynn could respond, everyone rallied around the former. She didn't want the girls in her business, but the constant pushing that distracted her parents gave her time to think. One slip up and the whole family would have knowledge of her issue.

"I-" Lynn mustered before she was interrupted.

"You have any idea how worried we were?" Lola and Lana hollered.

"I could only imagine." Lynn muttered.

"We searched for you on the roof for three hours!" Lisa complained.

"That's silly, Lynn wouldn't be on the roof." Leni laughed. Lisa facepalmed. Leni's oafish mind was a mystery to the young scientist.

"Give her a chance to speak girls." Rita ordered, receiving nods.

"You have the floor." Lynn Sr. said with folded arms. Junior sighed.

"I stayed late for an after school program, to boost my grades. I should've told you first."

Lynn saw everyone raise their brows in surprise before lowering them in suspicion.

"You? Focusing on your grades? That's new." Lori stated.

"Besides, don't you have football practice after class?" Lola questioned.

"Sports isn't my life you know." Lynn shot a tense glare at Lola.

"The after school session never ends later than 4pm in Royal Woods." Lisa added, her nosiness getting under Lynn's skin.

"Today it did, and now I'm safe here at home. Any other questions?" Lynn subconsciously tightened her fists, making some of her sisters take a step back. Luna and Lucy wondered if she ever made it back on the team. Luan however wondered where she went after leaving school early.

"Maybe I should contact the school." Lynn Sr. went for his phone. Lynn felt nervous sweat form over her brow as her stomach clutched. If her parents knew she was skipping school, she could kiss her freedom goodbye. That would mean no more fun activities outside of school, and she would be forced to do more chores and indulge in other activities she considered dull. A nasty taste was in her mouth at the thought of having to work around the house.

"I'm not feeling well." She grunted before throwing her hands to her stomach She proceeded to bend over in a hurling position, then ran to the upstairs bathroom, kicked the door open and hung her head over the smelly toilet bowl. Footsteps were heard on the stairs shortly after.

"Okay honey, relax. Everything is going to be okay." Rita said with a hand placed on her daughter's back.

Lynn howled and belched for five minutes before lifting her head to close the toilet seat. In a squatting position, she slowly stood to her feet.

"False alarm." She muttered.

Lynn Sr. forgot to contact the school after seeing Lynn in distress. Though, every clever plan has a flaw.

"Dang. What did you eat today?" Luna asked with a look of discomfort.

"Oh my god, I literally know why she came home so late." Lori said in sudden excitement.

Lynn produced a nervous smile with her jaw clenched, her stare locked on Lori.

"Do tell." Lisa responded.

"She has a boyfriend! Isn't that obvious?"

"What?" Rita and Lynn Sr. gasped.

"This is ridiculous." Luan said, rolling her eyes.

"When Bobby and I first started dating, he invited me to his house after school and we literally had the best time." Lori explained, sparking a memory in Leni.

"Oh yeah, you didn't come home til nighttime."

"12:08 am to be exact. It was morning." Lisa added.

"Thank you, Lisa. When I got home, Bobobear texted me and I was so nervous about what to say that I became sick to my stomach and threw up all the lasagna his sister made for us."

"Weak." Lana said.

Lynn changed her nervous smile into one expressing alleviation.

"Oh yes, you hit it on the nail Lori. That's exactly what happened."

Lynn quickly walked passed the crowd at the bathroom door, making sure to give Lori a pat on the back before entering her room. Someone saw through Lynn's reaction like glass and knew she was lying.

"All-star athlete and now she has a boyfriend? She is growing up so fast." Lynn Sr. told Rita while heading for the stairs.

With an echoing sigh of relief, Lynn left the door slightly agape and hopped on her bed. Seconds later, the door swung open. Lynn looked to see the dubious expression of Luan standing in the doorway. The wannabe comedian carefully closed the door behind herself, never taking her eyes off Lynn.

"What's going on little sister?" Luan folded her arms while tapping her foot.

"I have a boyfriend Luan, that's what's going on. You'll get one too someday."

"Oh really? What's his name?"

"Umm, Turner."

"And what does this "Turner" do?" Luan asked, using over-exaggerated hand quotes.

"I dunno, go to school?" Lynn said with a grin.

Luan sighed and took a seat in front of the tired athlete.

"You didn't get back on the team, did you?"

With a sad moan of defeat, Lynn decided to put an end to her lies.

"What gave that away?"

"I saw you leave early."

Lynn's stare at the gray carpeting turned to Luan.

"You were watching me?"

"It was during recess. I was standing by the gate."

"Only the losers hang out by the gate."

Luan narrowed her eyes.

"What have you been doing since everyone thought you were a cheater?"

Lynn placed a finger on her chin before realizing where Luan was going with this. Gossip was far more negative than it was positive. No matter if it was the truth of an unforgivable lie, word always got around. Lynn's school life and even her life outside of her home had her in a tailspin since the moment she was branded a cheater. She found solitude to be her best friend, a quiet place where she can avoid negative social contact.

"Hanging by the gate." Lynn sighed again. "But today, I didn't want to do that."

"Where did you go?"

"To the library to read. They actually stay open late."

Luan was tired of the storytelling. Holding back a pun she had in mind, she worked harder to get Lynn to confide.

"How is the library going to get you back on the team?"

Lynn sucked her teeth in annoyance.

"I needed some personal space, kind of like right now."

"What book did you read, How To Prove My Innocence?"

"Stop it Luan. There's no book called how to provide innocence, or whatever you said."

"I just want to help you feel better. Everyone saw the tears in your eyes when you came home. Nothing makes you cry."

Lynn could beg to differ.

"Lynn, we went to see Lincoln in the hospital today. He looked so worried when he didn't see you."

The athlete had to look away as tears once again began burning in her eyes.

"Lynn?"

"He will never forgive me if he knows what I did." She sniffed, hiding her face. Luan was perplexed.

"Wait, who? Turner? You just met him-"

"No you goofball. I'm talking about Lincoln."

Luan's interested doubled.

"I...I visited him after I left school, probably a while before you saw him. He was quiet, relaxed, and happy to see me, but I ran away."

"Why?" Luan moved to sit next to her.

Lynn revealed her red eyes, a lone tear trickling down her right cheek.

"Lincoln's beating... me being ousted from the team... they're connected."

Luan's eyes widened, allowing the knowledge to fully set in.

"How is that possible? You know who hurt him?"

"I wish I did."

Lynn's lone tear was joined by a long stream of tears. She rested her head on Luan's shoulder, her older sister proceeding to comfort her. Luan wiped her sister's eyes with a tissue. Rubbing the top of her sister's head, Luan had another question in mind.

"You think our family's safety is at risk?"

Lynn quietly starred at the ceiling above, deeply contemplating the question. Whoever was targeting her and her brother wouldn't hesitate to hurt someone else, which frightened Lynn to her core. She was a fighter and a true defender for the people she loved and trusted Luan wouldn't share this moment with anyone, but undoubtedly, it would be difficult to fight against someone who knew more about her than how much she knew about them.

To her current knowledge, this person could be anyone.

* * *

 _4 days before final game..._

The next morning, Lynn woke an hour after her alarm, the sun cutting through her blinds and singeing her corneas like matches to a cigarette. Her vision was temporarily darkened for a short period of time before she could check her alarm clock.

7:40 am.

Surprise struck her. There was no way she would make it to school on time, as her father already departed from the house to drop off her sisters. All she needed was one more absence - or two more lateness - and she would flunk the grade. Boy would her parents scold her. She wouldn't hear the end of it.

"Going to school is for your future, LYNN!" Rita yelled in the back of her mind.

"Sweetheart, I told you that you could be anything, and you chose to be a failure!" She heard her father repeat in her head.

But she didn't care about that anymore, at least for now. She had more pressing matters, a menace to catch, a person that had a grudge against her family. Rejoining the team in the process would just be an added bonus to her mission. The surprise left her as she began checking her phone for notifications.

Six missed calls from Lucy. Who knew she even used her smart phone, or even had one. Rolling her eyes, Lynn decided to recall her, hearing an answer just seconds later.

"Lynn?" Lucy's voice creeped over the phone like she woke from hibernation.

"Something the matter Lucy? You never call _anyone_."

The silence Lynn heard for almost an entire sixty seconds was alarming.

"Lucy?"

"Oh, sorry. Forgot you were on the phone."

Lynn shook her head in disbelief.

"Are you for real?"

"I contacted you because you're running late. Dad thought it was best to leave you home after what transpired yesterday, but I figured it was your choice to leave or stay. Of course you never woke up...so..."

"Thanks for looking out Lucy. I'll be at school in a jiff." Lynn replied, now brushing her teeth with her cellphone on speaker.

"Class starts in ten minutes. Car rides are twenty. Walking is-"

"I have a bike Lucy." Lynn spat a huge glop of toothpaste and rinsed her face, then proceeded downstairs to stir some eggs in a measuring cup.

"Right. Unrelated topic, where _did_ you go yesterday?"

Lynn stopped stirring her eggs. Another one of her sisters concerned in her livelihood. It felt comforting to be thought of by those who she cared for most, but it was nonetheless irritating to be asked multiple questions. Lynn would hate the fast round on Family Fued, but this was worse.

"Didn't you hear Lori? I was hanging out with my boyfriend."

"Is his name Turner?" Lucy said in monotone.

The measuring cup nearly hit the floor as Lynn's grip loosened in shock. Luan couldn't keep her mouth shut if she was paid to.

"Smack Luan in the back of the head for me."

Lynn nodded in contempt at the sound of Lucy's hand making contact with the base of Luan's skull, the smack resembling a sound close to a whip over the phone. When Lucy continued talking, Lynn interrupted, wishing for Lucy to no longer ask her pressing questions.

"I know you want to continue talking, but not about last night, okay?"

"Sister, I care about you, that's all. We fight sometimes but it's really because were close. I'm just curious why you didn't confide in me first. We both know you're not biking to school and you're probably headed elsewhere instead. Just promise you won't get into any trouble?"

Lynn tightly gripped her phone, turning off the speaker as if someone else was home to eavesdrop. She tried her best not to allow her emotions to get the best of her. Like everyone else, Lucy was worried for their safety after what happened to their brother. Lynn brought the device to her right ear and took a deep breath.

"I promise." Lynn stated clearly before ending the call. Overprotection was irritating at times, but she found herself twice as worried about her family than they were her. No one could say it wasn't her job to keep anyone safe. It was in her blood, like a lion hunting to feed it's children. She held the sword and showed them the way. Deep down inside, she knew she needed them to rely on her. Besides indulging in a sport, it was the only time she felt useful. They didn't need to know she spent the afternoon and evening in an empty park, crying to herself.

She would feel weak. It was the exact way she felt about her brother being targeted. Her brother had broken bones. He was scared. He was forced to bleed. Almost red in the face while eating her ham and eggs, she was going to make her unknown enemy face far greater pain for what they did.

And what they may do next.

Dropping an empty dish in the sink to join other dirty dishes, she threw a lightweight hoodie over her t-shirt and bra and ran outside to grab her bike. A 24-speed with reflectors and black lettering on the down tube reading "Lynnsanity."

"Wack." She said out loud. With a kick, she gunned it down the street while facing traffic, the spring air massaging her face as vehicles honked their horns in annoyance. The honks were repetitive, a driver smacking the center of their steering wheel every three seconds, but she could still hear someone yelling her name over the boisterous noise.

"Who the hell is that?" She grunted, quickly doing a 180 and almost causing two vehicles to t-bone. Speeding back down the street in search of the person calling her, a boy standing at the edge of a block waved his arms at her like a hitchhiker. A light turned red and she allowed herself to safely reach the sidewalk. Clyde watched as she took off her helmet like one of the sexy female bikers he would see on TV from time to time. His eyes glowed, thinking Lori was no longer the only cute girl Lincoln was related to.

"Hey, snap out of it." Lynn snapped her fingers in his face, making the child flinch and briefly shut his eyes.

"S-Sorry, I, uh, just needed to talk to you. Heh heh heh." Clyde chuckled, now starring at her legs. He took a step back at the sight of Lynn making a fist with her right hand.

"If you called me over here just to check me out..."

"I didn't, at least not for that reason. I swear!" Clyde raised his hands to cover his face. He then relaxed his face when Lynn grabbed his hands to put them down.

"You don't want people to think I'm hurting you. Now tell me, what do you want then?"

Clyde nervously played with his fingers for a couple seconds before taking a massive deep breath.

"I know you went to see Lincoln yesterday and I wanted to know how he's doing."

Lynn narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"I-I called your house asking for directions to the hospital, but no one would answer the phone. When Lori finally did, all I heard were police sirens. She told me you were the last person to see her, but she hung up before I could ask for the hospital's location."

Lynn could understand why he heard police sirens, but she had an unrelated question in mind.

"Lori told you I went to the hospital?"

"After I asked her several questions, yes."

"Why?"

"I'm assuming she told me everything she knew to get me to leave her alone." Clyde stated with a stutter before recollecting himself, fixing his polo shirt collar and adjusting his glasses to a perfect angle on the bridge of his nose.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Lynn said.

"Could you please give me directions on how to get there? I'm willing to give up a day of school to see Lincoln!" Clyde pleaded with puppy dog eyes, which Lynn couldn't ignore. She looked around before looking back at the boy.

"Tell you what. Hop on my bike with me. I was headed to Royal Woods Medical anyways." Lynn stated before turning her back to him. With all her safety gear on, she sat on the seat and waited for the Ace Savvy fan to join her. He stood behind her with the back wheel between his legs, not sure of what to do next.

"Both feet on the pegs. Hands gripped on my shoulders. Never loosen your grip, I travel on this thing faster than traffic at 11am.

"There is no traffic at 11am. Those cars just fly down the street."

"Exactly."

Clyde shook nervously. He was about ready to warn her about how he was subject to passing out at any given time, but the moment he began to feel the speed, to see the cars and buildings in a blur, he couldn't help but shout in excitement. This was more exhilarating than the time he and Lincoln went down the ramp of insanity.

Almost.

In just a matter of minutes, the two mature adolescents arrived to a side entrance of the hospital. The ride felt like it didn't last long enough to Clyde, but the commute gave Lynn time to think. She thought back to yesterday - the moment she left Lincoln alone in the hospital room. She didn't know what she was thinking at that moment. It was unnerving that a vision of a worst case scenario would spook her so bad, but she wasn't completely over it. She didn't think her brother would hate her if he found out, but it was possible. That notion brought something to light.

"I'm not ready to see Lincoln." Lynn said highly strung while droping her kickstand.

"Huh? What do you mean? You just saw him yesterday." Clyde raised a brow.

"I did, but-"

"But what?" Clyde's eyes widened, his prescription glasses making his eyes appear enormous.

"I hear a little voice calling you Clyde. I think it's Lincoln. He wants to see you."

"Right!" Clyde remembered before rushing inside, leaving it to himself to find the correct hospital room. Lynn sat down on the concrete next to her bike, her hands carefully clasped between her legs.

Clyde glanced through the glass window of every hospital room door he saw in search of finding Lincoln. Since his realization yesterday in Ms. Johnson's class, he felt he owed Lincoln much more than an apology for his rude and selfish behavior. A vain attempt to avoid the trouble Lincoln attracted and Clyde could very well have thrown away a good friendship. Clyde would understand if Lincoln didn't want to see him, but even he knew he'd be an even worse friend for not checking in on him.

Now on the second floor of the hospital, the good memories they had together surfaced in his mind. The days and nights they spend playing video games, the adventures during Spring break, the laughs they shared inside and outside of school. Clyde felt his heartbeat steadily increase as he reached the third floor. Something told him this was the correct place. With a string of confidence, Clyde knew it was time to create another good memory. A moment to let Lincoln know that he cared about him.

His confidence didn't change as he smiled ear to ear. Looking through a glass window in a sunlight-filled hallway, he saw Lincoln starring at a television in indifference. The hospital room door slowly creaked open, a sound Lincoln failed to hear. When Clyde closed the door behind him, one step at a time, he walked to his friend's bedside.

"H-Hey buddy." Clyde said with an authentic smile. His eyes became moist at the sight of his badly battered friend. Lincoln calmly looked up at Clyde, then he starred back at the television.

"Buddy, it's me. I-I'm sure you knew that. I came to see you."

Clyde quickly leaned in when he heard the white-haired child whisper something in response. He couldn't hear what he said over the noise of the TV and the sound of construction outside.

"What did you say?"

Lincoln looked up at Clyde with an extremely empty look in his eyes, as if he was starring into a different world.

"I said who are you?" Lincoln stated in monotone, the words now clear as the blue sky to Clyde. His eyes were still locked on the screen, which Clyde now realized was just white noise from static. The nearsighted boy nearly felt a heart attack coming on as a response to what he saw.

"W-What do you mean buddy? It's Clyde, y-your best friend..."

The eerie silence that followed was more frighting than an elevator was to a claustrophobic. After the brief hush, Lincoln once again made eye contact with Clyde, this time with a more intense stare.

"I don't know you. I've never seen you in my life."

Clyde was sure his left arm was numb at this point. Lincoln slowly turning his head to look back at the screen like a robot was too much for the kid to handle. It now made sense why Lynn wasn't ready to see him. What happened to him that would result in such uncanny behavior? Did he hit his head? Was he suffering from amnesia?

"A sad case of permanent memory loss?" Clyde weakly muttered, his eyes locked on a lifeless Lincoln Loud. With tears running down his face, he feared there was no possibility of restoring their friendship. Lincoln hating him was one thing, but all his memories wiped out like a computer on factory reset would make even a grown man cry.

Clyde sat beside his friend and cried into his arm when Lincoln's doctor walked in. His eyes stared with confusion at the sight of this.

"Um, I presume you're a...visitor?" He asked.

"I'm sooo sorry Lincoln! I was a bad friend to let you fight those bullies alone!"

At this point in the doctor's career, he was used to people crying by their loved one's bedside, but what he saw before him didn't make sense. While whistling a classical tune, the medical major took the remote from Lincoln's hand and changed the channel to something more enjoyable.

Still weeping in distress, Clyde looked up, now conscious of the doctor's presence. He jumped up like someone lit a match to his ass.

"You have to help him, my friend can't remember anything!" He yelled with his arm extended towards the patient.

"Basketball? Is this good?" The man asked Lincoln, ignoring Clyde.

"None of my favorite shows are on a this hour, so yeah, this will do. Thanks doc." Lincoln smiled.

Clyde's mouth hung wide open with a frozen stare at Lincoln.

"Just one more favor doc, leave me and Clyde alone in here for awhile. We have a few things to catch up on." Lincoln finished the sentence with a smirk, his eyes now on the shocked eleven year old.

The doctor had departed from the room and Clyde still couldn't unfreeze his jaw. Lincoln looked at the kid for a while longer before breaking into a laughing fit.

"I HAD YOU GOING THERE, DIDN'T I?!" Lincoln said before letting out one final laugh, smacking his knee in the process.

"Oh my god." Clyde said.

"You're an idiot." Lincoln giggled.

"I'm sorry buddy, for being so standoffish and mean and-"

"An asshole?" Lincoln asked with a grin.

"Yes. I stand corrected. Listen, about before, I owe you much more than an apology." Clyde said sheepishly, his hands firmly held together behind his back.

"For sure."

While the two lunatics were having somewhat of a friend reunion or just a moment rather, Lynn Jr sat firmly on a hospital front bench with her bike parked nearby. A strong look of despondency was written across her face as depression looked like it had already sunk in. It wasn't smart for her to beat herself up so much, but she continued to tell herself that Lincoln was busy. He'd rather talk to his friend than to a girl that calls him Stinkcoln all the time. Lynn had to confide in her brother, and the sooner the better, but she just couldn't find the courage or the right words to say. Lucy had a way with words. She regretted not asking her sister for tips during their phone call.

Lynn felt she was in a prison - a feeling everyone experienced from time to time. Though, the terrible affliction of always running to find answers but to no avail was much for the young athlete to handle. She was certain Lucy and Luan weren't the only ones that saw through her lies last night. Sooner or later, they would ask questions. They would want answers. Answers she did not have. It was a bad time to cause others to build trust barriers.

This was only a small fraction of the stress that indented lines into Lynn's forehead. With her brows furrowed, she watched the vehicles drive up and down the street. Every driver held a gleeful smile on their face. Of course everybody was happy at a time like this. This is how the universe was treating her lately. Her eyes were locked on whatever passed in front of her, including a boy who slowly limped by.

With weary eyes, she looked up to see who the person was. The boy was tall, skinny and pale with a full head of charcoal colored hair. He wore a cast on his left arm and held a trembling hand to his abdomen. Was this the way Lincoln walked down the street after he was attacked? Alone with no one around to help? The boy appeared to be in a bad condition, but Lynn would give anything to see Lincoln like that.

At least he would be walking and not hooked up to a machine in a bed.

She couldn't see the stranger's face as he had already passed her, but once the kid stopped walking, her curiosity spiked. _What is he looking at?_ She thought with a finger to her chin.

The boy proceeded to look around with a suspicious look in his eyes, as if to make sure there were no police to witness him do something illegal. The sun was once again in Lynn's eyes, but it didn't stop her from seeing the boy fling his crutch into a corner dumpster before picking up a scooter. The boy then gazed in her direction, his stare directly over her head before hopping on his two wheels to travel halfway down a block. With a hand to her mouth in surprise, Lynn had never seen something like that before. Whenever she used a crutch, she needed it.

The boy stopped at the end of the block, dropping his scooter on a curb and sticking his head inside the driver's window of a 4-door sedan. Seconds later, Lynn gasped at the sight of the boy stuffing a roll of cash into his pocket. What does a person do to earn such a high payday? When the boy looked in her direction again, the car pulled away, and Lynn realized that kid was no stranger.

Kevin was his name.

Glancing down at her watch, Lynn stood from the bench and folded her bike's kickstand. Meanwhile, Kevin squatted down to pick up his scooter. When the sound of screeching tires approached him, he spun his head and looked up to see a familiar face.

"Lynn Loud? What are you doing here?" He asked, scratching the back of his head, his arm still trembling like he stood in a restaurant freezer for hours. This wasn't the only thing Lynn noticed.

"What happened to your teeth?" Lynn responded. She leaned in closer to examine his facial wounds. The boy must've fought in a boxing match for at least twelve rounds. Missing teeth and a torn lip can't result from a simple trip and fall.

Or maybe it could.

"I know, my face looks terrible, but I'll be okay. Could you believe those were just my baby teeth?" He laughed nervously.

"Those huge buck teeth? Impossible. You looked like Mater." Lynn stated with a sudden growth of interest.

"Yeah, umm, no. Anyways, I got places to be. Later Lynn." He said before looking back down at his scooter.

Whether it was a gut feeling or to avoid boredom, something told Lynn to keep talking.

"I remember the time I broke my tibia bone. Snapped it in half while sliding into home plate. It looked bad, but you know me. It was healed in under a week."

"Nice story." The scooter kid muttered, trying to camouflage his nervousness with a look of apathy. Lynn raised a brow.

"Mind telling me how you messed up your face so bad?"

Kevin was fifteen. He had known Lynn Loud since they were elementary school kids. He always had a crippling crush on the athlete but lacked the bravery to express his feelings to her. Being they were now teenagers, they were practically strangers now. A wave and a smile in the street every few months were their only interactions. Though, his heart was now bubbling. It appeared that Lynn finally wanted to speak to him. He stood to his feet and placed both hands in his jean pockets.

"I may have a few minutes." He said, his voice muffled behind some gauze for the blood his mouth frequently produced. "A couple days ago, my friends were at a hang out, you know, smokin' some kush."

"Kush? Why don't people just call it by it's correct name?"

"And what would that be?"

"Cannabaceae, duh. At least that's what my sister Lisa refers to it as." Lynn grinned.

"Nerd, huh. I didn't know you had a sister." He raised a brow as they walked back up the block to the hospital.

"Yeah, and get this. I've got nine of them, and one brother." Lynn's weak smile turned to a despondent frown after that statement.

"One brother? I'd hate to be him." The insensitive jerk laughed, not realizing how uncomfortable this made Lynn. That's what she needed to hear, an accidental reminder of how unlucky Lincoln was to have her for a sister.

"He's in the hospital, so yeah, he's probably just about hating his life right now." Lynn sighed.

"That sucks." He said.

"Yeah, but let's talk about something else." Lynn was willing to hear Kevin run his mouth in a desperate attempt to relieve her mind of stress. Before searching for the criminal that hurt Lincoln, she needed a mental break.

"Right. So my click was hangin' out when I joined them with this little kid. The boy looked to be around nine or ten years old, and I promised him some cash if he hung out with me for a minute."

"You invited a little kid to smoke drugs with you? You must be very desperate for friends."

"No, it's nothing like that. Besides, weed isn't a drug. It was a plan for my boys and I to prank him. You know, show him what it's like to be a teenager. You cut school. You get into fights. You pop pills."

"Sure, if you're describing the dumb ones." Lynn said before she paused, catching something that Kevin said. "Wait, fights? You were going to teach him martial arts or something?"

"Actually, we were gonna beat him up. Just a little, to send him home to cry to his mommy."

Lynn was never going to like this guy, something Kevin needed to learn quick.

"So you're missing teeth and broke your arm because this little boy whooped your ass? You need me to sign your cast?" Lynn laughed.

"Not in a million years. Now about signing my cast..."

"No." Lynn stated. Kevin nodded.

"Before we could do anything, the kid ran away. We chased him for blocks, almost for a mile, but the boy had jets under his feet. I kind of tripped over some broken sidewalk and hurt myself..."

"Ouch. Well Kevin, I'm glad Karma took your teeth away."

"Screw karma. If I didn't fall, I would've caught that white-haired, freckled-faced freak." He practically yelled in indignation.

By this point, the two were already sitting on a hospital front bench. Lynn watched Kevin as he sulked with a cross look on his face; his brows furrowed and both fists tightly closed. It didn't make sense why he would randomly want to beat up a child. Teaching someone about teenage life by inflicting pain on them was purely a lie. If Lynn found interest in helping young kids, she would teach them martial arts or something about smart goals. Bullying was simply idiotic.

She couldn't fathom the fear that must've ran through that kid. He was running for his life from a group of reckless older kids that meant nothing but harm. Lynn wanted to scoot away from Kevin, but her mind wandered back to the little boy. No one was around to help him. All he had were his two feet and his heart to keep him away from a fierce beating.

This boy had freckles, Lynn thought. He had white hair. How many little boys had white hair in a small town like Royal Woods?

Only one.

With her eyes locked on the older teenager, an ice cold gust of realization hit her harder than a runaway train car. Kevin was upset about his injury, but still glad he got to speak with his long time crush. He would soon wish til the end of time he had kept his mouth shut.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Cliffhangers, I know, but it's only because I have so much more planned ahead. As you have witnessed, Lincoln is quite the actor for getting Clyde to cry his eyes out the way he did. Things may be looking up for them, but the same can't be said for a foolish boy named Kevin. He simply picked on the wrong boy and confided in the wrong girl. A slip of the tongue he may never forget.


	8. Pain's Grip

**Author's Note:** Hello again. Lynn's anger has exceeded it's boiling point. Let's see what she does.

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Nickelodeon. No copyright infringement intended.**

 **Pain's Grip  
**

* * *

Whatever tranquility the neighborhood had at the start of the new hour was destroyed by Lynn's clear-cut shouts. Her expression of violent anger stopped traffic and even produced a yelp from one of the nearby construction workers using a jackhammer. People that passed by in public transportation and those inside the hospital could hear her sudden fit of rage. Standing from the bench with her fists tight enough to make her knuckles ash white, Lynn stomped towards her enemy with the most malicious facial expression.

"That was my brother you chased down. When I'm done with you, you'll wish you died chasing him..." She flared.

Kevin couldn't turn his back to run if he prayed. In winged fury, Lynn leaped high in the air and tackled the delinquent head-on, quickly knocking him to the floor. With little struggle, Lynn pinned Kevin down as he begged for mercy. She threw unstoppable punches to his face as his head made contact with the concrete each time. All the anger and rage Lynn kept inside for the past few days was instantly released on the helpless child, his screams heard for city blocks. Time must've stopped because within seconds, a large crowd rallied around them in a large circle, some cheering and fighting to look away while others recorded in hopes of capturing the moment. Paramedics ran in to halt the squabble, but to no avail.

Skin came off her knuckles each time they made brutal contact, but she didn't care. All she saw was red. It was more satisfying that anything to get some justice for Lincoln, even if it meant getting into a world of trouble.

"YOU TARGETED MY BROTHER! WHY?!" Lynn screamed, adding to the total of Kevin's missing teeth as she dislodged molars, drilling him into the ground with each punch. His face was dripping in blood by the time Lynn gripped his shirt collar and pulled him close. His head hung back, painful moans barely above whispers coming from his lifeless figure. Not hearing a peep from him, Lynn exhaled a puff of steam before continuing her relentless pounding. Blood stained the ground beneath them as the ignorant bystanders rehearsed the all too common "FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!"

"YOU BASTARD! TELL ME! ARE YOU HAPPY NOW AFTER HURTING LINCOLN?!" She shouted, seething at the thought of his wrongdoings.

"It wasn't me! Someone else flung him off the bridge!" Kevin managed to say before his busted lip received another blow. Lynn's eyes cleared a little, her fists slowly leaving the badly injured boy's face.

"Then who was it?" She grunted, nearly ready to continue the beating. He whipped his hands to cover his face, as if it could be in any worse shape.

"S-Someone paid m-me to beat that kid. It wasn't my idea, my friends and I were forced to!" He said with blood pouring out of his nose and mouth.

Lynn's face was still red as the blood that stained her hoodie. "Defending your friends, huh? I don't see them here to _defend_ you!"

"Please...I'm sorry. Cross my heart, I'll never try to hurt him again!" He muttered, waving the white flag.

"I'll make sure of that." With no hesitation, she gripped one of his fingers and pulled it back til a snap echoed throughout the area, another one of her hands muffling his screams. By this point, even Clyde took notice to the sounds of a disturbance from outside. Looking through the window, he quivered to Kevin's cries failing to be muffled.

"What was that?" Lincoln asked with concern. When Clyde realized what the cause of the yelling was, his pupils shrunk.

"Buddy, I gotta go."

"Clyde, what's going on outside?" Lincoln asked, almost ready to stand from his bed.

"It's your sister!" The legally blind boy shouted before running out of the hospital room. Lincoln had no clue as to what the damage was, but he didn't need any further explanation to know which sister was involved.

Bolting out of the hospital, Clyde spun right to see at least three dozen people crowding at a street corner. Approaching the scene, he peered in to get a better view. He soon wished he hadn't. The sight of blood and bone made him nauseous.

"Snap out of it." He told himself before nudging his way through the crowd, earning a couple shoves from behind in the process.

"WHO PAID YOU TO DO THIS?!" Lynn screamed in defiance, her voice ringing in Clyde's head due to how close he was. With sweat dripping from her face, she quickly looked up to see the 11-year old trying to pull her away, which she ignored. Kevin gasped at the sight of the broken fingers before cutting his swollen eyes at Lynn.

"Screw you. Break all my fingers, I don't care. You will burn for this..." He stated before a series of coughs.

If fire hadn't already grown in Lynn's eyes, it certainly did now. There were no more cries for mercy. He earned the beating and didn't want to give Lynn any satisfaction. No hesitation, the crowd was awestruck to see Lynn raise her fist at the boy, said meaty fist flying down towards Kevin's temples for a knockout punch. The boy braced himself, then Clyde jumped in front of him to take the hit. The crowd cheered like they were watching an action movie and not an actual fight that someone should contact the police over. Lynn raised her furrowed eyebrows in surprise.

"Clyde, what the hell? Get out of the way!" She shouted in frustration.

"Lynn, stop! Please!"

Lynn shoved the preteen out of the way. Proceeding to finish Kevin off, she dropped her fist when she noticed a screwdriver laying nearby, just yards from the construction site. She didn't think twice before picking up the object. Looking down at her enemy with a savage grin, she gripped the weapon with both hands, raised it above her head and down it went, plummeting towards the barely conscious boy's forehead.

Clyde couldn't allow this to happen. In a laying position, he turned over jumped to his feet and leaped at her like a mountain lion. The tool was just millimeters from her target when Clyde showed her three yards away, both their bodies landing in the street. Gravel and dust coated his palms, but he managed to stand up before Lynn did. Her body was drained from the brutal hits she delivered, but the relentless athlete still had a little left in her to fight.

"You can't do this." He yelled, trying his best to keep her pinned down. His weak arms were little match for hers, but if he failed to keep her down, Lynn could very well be kissing her freedom goodbye.

"Get off of me dang it!" She grunted. With her back to the ground, her body squirmed under the pressure Clyde exerted on her shoulders.

"No! I can't do that! Have you gone insane?!" Clyde yelled.

"That freak hurt Lincoln! I have to stop him from doing it again!" Lynn argued.

"If you don't stop, you're gonna kill him!" He explained.

Lynn allowed those words to slowly settle in. Clyde was right. Kevin was in no condition to do anything anytime soon, much less dare to mess with Lincoln again. He was beaten to a pulp, which she realized had to be enough to satisfy her. Looking at Kevin lying unconscious, the crowd finally broke up as paramedics rushed him inside. At this exact moment, what she did had finally dawned on her. She looked down at her swollen, badly scrapped hands, then at Clyde.

"These hands broke fingers...what kind of a monster am I?!" She shouted before releasing her remaining stress. Two streaks of tears flowed down her face as she sat in the street with Clyde joining her. Solemnly reflecting, he realized Lincoln wasn't the only person affected by the past events. His entire family had been under a ton of stress since his attack and Lynn's mood-swings was evidence of that. Clyde's parents taught him to be comforting when a friend was feeling sad. In this case, Lynn wasn't a friend, but simply a person in need of solace.

"That's good, let it all out. Everything will be fine, I hope..." He said with a hand on the center of Lynn's back. With her head cupped in his shoulder, he shook at the visions of the bloody scene. Anytime he came across a movie that featured such violence, he'd look away and change the channel. What he saw before him today was like nothing he'd ever wtinessed, and something he hoped wouldn't get out. The internal pain that radiated from Lynn told him it was his turn to be strong. Sitting around startled was something he could do on his own time.

"Lynn, you're not a monster. You found who hurt Lincoln and taught him a lesson in your own way." He assured her.

Lynn sniffed and lifted her head to look at him. "You don't understand. Kevin is only one of the many people that hurt Lincoln, and I couldn't even get him to confess who the others were. They could be people that I know, people that I see everyday. He's back in the emergency room, so now it's impossible to figure out who did this to my brother."

"Unless they strike again." Clyde thought aloud, receiving a glare of discomfort from Lynn.

Clyde didn't have much knowledge of the situation, as bullying appeared to be the only issue, but he was a quick learner. Kevin's connections wouldn't be pleased to see their friend as an unidentifiable pulp, so if they found out who hurt him, Lynn better watch her back. Though, there was no need for him to tell her this. Igniting more anger in the girl was the last thing he wanted to do, especially after witnessing what took place. Good thing Lynn didn't know about his recent issues with Lincoln or else.

"Those sirens you heard over the phone last night...it was because of me arriving home so late." Lynn said. "My parents didn't know where I was, so they thought what happened to Lincoln could've been happening to me."

"Tell me more." Clyde nodded.

"They're worried sick about our safety more than ever nowadays. I can't blame them." Lynn continued. "When Lincoln was assaulted, I was suppose to be there to stop Kevin and those maniacs." She hung her head with guilt as Clyde gave a look of great interest.

"There's no way you could've known it was going to happen. You shouldn't blame yourself for something like this."

"That's the thing. It is my fault. All of this is my fault. If I had never fought to get back on the football team, none of this would've happened."

This was all new information to Lincoln's best friend.

"Wait, football team?" He asked.

Lynn paused upon realizing who she was sharing her personal problems with. She raised a finger to hesitate going any further, then slowly lowered that finger in deep thought. Confiding in Clyde couldn't add anymore damage to the situation.

"Someone out there hates me. They got me kicked off my sports team by planting drugs in my stuff, in my locker! I showed anger towards the act and they retaliated by-"

"Hurting Lincoln." Clyde finished, now understanding the absence of her sports jersey. "But none of this makes you guilty of what happened."

"Before he got hurt, he showed me some bruising on his ribs and arms. He didn't outright ask for it, but I know my brother. He needed my help and I told him I'd end his problems. I decided to play hero and now look where it's gotten me. I failed. I'm still off the team and my family is scared shitless."

Lynn fought for her brother the only way she knew how, but much luck didn't come with violence as the only solution in mind. Good thing Clyde was there to hear her out.

"You can say this is your fault a thousand times, even a million times, doesn't mean it's true. When I spoke to Lincoln in that room, after a small ordeal, he told me about you. He misses you Lynn. He wants to see you after spending so much time in the hospital."

Lynn kept her swollen eyes on Clyde, taking in every word he said.

"I would be more than happy to help you find the animals that hurt your brother, my friend. After these past few days, I owe that to him. Take a break from searching the streets for answers and take this time to give Lincoln what he really needs."

For the first time in over a day, Lynn cracked a smile. Her red face slowly faded back to it's original color as she wiped her eyes with her shirt collar. She knew exactly what he meant.

"I've got some repressed things to deal with. Thanks Clyde." She expressed her appreciation by wrapping her tired arms around him after being helped off the ground, only because she was thankful for Lincoln having such a caring friend. Entering the hospital again, Clyde was glad he decided to skip school on a day like this. As for Lynn, she didn't always know the best way to solve her personal issues, but whenever she needed to relieve some stress, fighting always worked.

Another issue she had to work out, but that's for later.

* * *

As the day grew hotter, Royal Woods Middle-High school allowed students to eat out during an extended lunch period. The institution had received more money from supporting organizations, so the student body and employees were all in good spirits. The campus was crowded with rowdy kids and traffic began to accumulate a little. Knowing the kids, the lunch break would last til the final bell.

But the loud girls couldn't care less about the school's finances. They still cared about school, specifically their academics, but that was it. All the excitement they developed for the place was often short-lived. Luna sat at a picnic table alone with her head down in despondence. Resting her head in her arms, she should be excited about the school's upcoming talent show, but she wasn't in the mood to practice guitar or drop a beat on the drums. Instead, troubling thoughts would relentlessly distract her.

"Poor Lynn." She muttered.

She then heard pairs of footsteps shuffling behind her. Producing a groan, she lifted her head. "Chunk, I told you we would practice later. Can I have five minutes to myself?"

"It's us silly." A feminine voice answered.

Lowering the hood of her hooded sweater that went along with a new leather jacket, she looked up to see Lori and Luan walk around the table to take a seat in front of her.

"Oh, hey."

"Feeling down?" Luan asked, beginning to scarf down some cheesy french fries in an aluminum tray.

Beginning to develop a response, Luna was paused by the strong smell of Lori's food. She pinched her nose and squinted her eyes.

"How much spice is on that? You trying to fart up the entire class later?"

"Just enough to be sent to the bathroom. I literally hate math class." Lori grinned. Luna nodded with the exact same grin.

"Or you can just ask to be excused. Anyway, I'm not feeling down, I'm just a little distracted."

Luan and Lori glanced at one another with the same thought in mind. They didn't have to ask for the reasoning behind Luna's melancholy mood. Lori put down her soda.

"Lincoln is in the hospital and we all feel terrible, but he's going to be back to normal before we know it. He was happy to see us yesterday. I'm sure he's feeling even better now."

"But what about Lynn? You saw how she looked last night." Luna said. She knew true sadness when she saw it. Emotion spoke to her the same way music did.

"Hmm. I do wonder who her boyfriend is." Lori said with a finger to her chin. Luna watched Luan roll her eyes, then looked back at Lori.

"No you dimwit, why would I be sad about that? Lynn's been deeply depressed since Lincoln's accident, way more sad than we've been. I just wonder what's going on in her head. She won't talk to us."

Luan frowned at that comment. Lynn certainly was beginning to look like Lucy. She even began to wear her hair down like her.

"We talked last night."

Immediately surprised, Luna and Lori moved a little closer to gave Luan their full attention. _Literally serious talk time_ , Lori thought. She put her phone on silent.

"She was crying. What happened?" Luna asked. Luan didn't want to spill all the beans, as a family argument was likely to take place as a result.

"Lynn believes Lincoln's attack wasn't a random act. He was targeted and now she's worried about our safety, not only Lincoln's."

"Doesn't explain why she came home so late." Lori replied. Luan shrugged.

"She wanted some time to herself to clear her mind. Maybe she lost track of time yesterday."

"Is that it?" The eldest girl asked, not realizing their heads could soon be on a swivel.

"I'm afraid so." Luan nodded.

"If the attack wasn't a wrong place, wrong time situation, then why would someone target him?" Luna asked a bit anxiously.

Luan scratched her head.

"If I knew, I'd tell you."

Luan didn't want to earn another smack from Lucy, or Lynn in that matter. Lynn was awfully private about her issues, which Luan couldn't understand at all.

"It also doesn't help that she's stressed over the whole football incident."

"Right. Her plan to get back on the team turned up short. I get why she's down in the dumps now." Luna reflected. The two younger girls took notice of the sudden stare Lori gave them, as if they just said the dumbest thing on the planet.

"Lynn left her football team? No one told me." Lori stated with displeasure. Luna and Luan looked down nervously for a brief moment, failing to escape Lori's sudden rush of vexation. "When did you two girls plan on telling me this?"

"Never." Luan muttered, which didn't fall on deaf ears.

"What?!" Lori grunted, making a few teenagers standing nearby turn their heads in question. Luna looked up again.

"What she meant was-"

"I know exactly what she meant." Lori interrupted with a stare towards Luan.

"We didn't plan on telling you because these kind of things don't interest you. We figured sharing something like that would be a waste of time."

"If it helps, we didn't tell mom or dad either." Luan added with a nod. Lori's face didn't change.

"So I'm like mom and dad to you now? I know I can imposing, but seriously? Why did Lynn quit football?"

Luna and Luan became tense. Lynn wouldn't kill them if they divulged her issue to Lori. It was either be turned into a human pretzel or who knows what. With Lori, they at least knew what they were messing with.

"She didn't exactly quit football, per se. Someone might have created an elaborate plan to get her kicked off, but even she doesn't know why." Luna stated. Lori cooled down a little.

"It's like our family is being targeted. Someone seriously hates us, but they haven't met me yet." Lori said, subconsciously cracking her fingers and rolling up the sleeves of a blue button down shirt she wore.

"Dude, whoever this person is, they messed with Lynn." Luna pointed out.

"Right, and if they're willing to mess with someone as wild as Lynn, they certainly wouldn't be afraid of you." Luan added.

"Point taken." Lori frowned. The blonde decided to check her phone for the time being when she saw a text message from one of her acquaintances. Taking a quick look around, everyone appeared to be on their cellular devices. Opening the text, she was brought to a video link under a message reading "YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS!"

Puzzled, Lori clicked the link. What funny video did Bobby decide to send her? Maybe a romantic one, that would be sweet. Lori's smile was widening as the video was loading, a Youtube video with views somewhere around the hundred thousand mark.

The footage was unclear at first, but the audio didn't give off a romantic vibe as shouting and screaming caught the attention of Luna and Luan. They stood from the bench and rallied together to see what Lori was watching.

"Music video?" Luna asked.

"I don't know, this camera man sucks."

But not for long. When the camera finally captured what was going on, the expression on their faces were priceless. Their pupils shrunk in udder shock at the sight of a boy being beaten half to death. Besides the uproar by the witnesses, Lynn's fists pounding into Kevin's skull was the loudest sound they heard.

"Blood is flowing out of his eye socket! What a crazy face period!" The cameraman said.

Lynn took breaks when she beat on the boy, but they were only brief as Lori, Luna and Luan covered their mouths in horror every time Lynn continued to throw down.

"Get outta town! Lynn is nuts!" Luan shouted.

"Lynn...what are you doing?" Luna muttered in deep worry. They watched Lynn pull Kevin in close.

"YOU BASTARD! TELL ME! ARE YOU HAPPY NOW AFTER HURTING MY BROTHER?!" Lynn shouted firmly.

"It wasn't me! Someone else flung him off the bridge!" Kevin responded, sounding like he was missing his entire tongue. They cringed as the boy only earned more punches after that remark.

"Ouch, that's gonna leave a mark." The cameraman said.

"He's the one that hurt Lincoln?" Luna said with a feeling of anger beginning to seep in. As difficult as the footage was to watch, it was even more difficult to face the facts. Lynn had a right to be angry, they all did, but millions of people would only think of their sister as a deranged monster.

"Holy shit." Lori muttered while frozen stiff.

Lynn picked up a screwdriver.

"HOLY SHIT!" Lori shouted, instantly turning off the video to prevent herself from witnessing the end to such an awful scene. Lori went cold when she looked around again. Over a dozen kids starred in their direction with looks of discomfort. The video had a hundred thousand views for a reason.

"Kevin is a decent kid. Your sister is sick!" A boy yelled with a defensive glare towards them.

Luan picked up a sharp tree branch. "Let me know when." She muttered, her target being the boy's head.

"No, Luan. He's not worth the suspension, or expulsion."

"I know Lynn can be a bit out of control, but that was wrath like I had never seen." Luna expressed.

Lori sat down, still processing the horror she witnessed. "I know. What alarms me is when she mentioned the boy being paid to hurt Lincoln. How many more people were in on this? Who could possibly hate our little bro enough to assault him?"

"I wish I knew." Luna said. As bad as the fight was, Lynn did it for Lincoln. She defended his honor. "I guess there is a caring person under all of that bitterness." She stated firmly to everyone.

While Lori and Luna shared similar thoughts, something heart-wrenching formed inside Luan's mind. Lynn had severe baggage. Didn't help she had an enemy that was yet to be exposed, but the entire family had a new issue at hand, an issue that couldn't be fixed by a simple action. Lynn unknowingly was in a crawl space that was only going to continue shrinking, and Luan had absolutely no solution in mind. This scared the living daylights out of the young comedian. She interrupted their conversation.

"You do realize Lynn can go to prison, right?"

"Well..." Lori and Luna said before their eyes widened. There was a growing realization of how much worse the situation could get. In great fear for their sister's freedom, the girls couldn't muster another word.

* * *

"Lynn, I'm worried." Lincoln said, his body facing his sister and Clyde after some assistance from a nurse.

"It looks bad, doesn't it?" Lynn muttered sternly.

"They do. You got skin peeling from your hands." Lincoln cringed.

Lynn felt dispirited. Blood stains coated the inside of the gauze that secured her bruised hands, a simple glance at them reminding her of the vision she had yesterday. Laying eyes on a person that was ever so slightly responsible for her brother's distress made her go into a fit of rage no one could control, including herself. She had an episode like that today and it didn't solve anything. Even if it looked like she was getting justice for her brother's injuries, no matter how anyone saw it, all she did was send a person to the hospital. Looking down at her hands, she knew she accomplished nothing.

Lincoln caught the look in Lynn's eyes. All hope was lost.

"Sis..." Lincoln began, his faithful eyes locked on his damaged sister. "The day you discovered my issue with the kids at school, I didn't want to tell you because I knew you wouldn't stop thinking about it. I wanted you to focus more on others things and not just me. I wish I could've told you this sooner, but, you know."

Lynn's stare at her hands moved to her brother, then slowly back down at her hands.

"He means he was in the hospital, so he couldn't talk to you." Clyde explained.

"I know that." Lynn said with a look of exhaustion. "Lincoln, I had to try and put an end to the violence once and for all. I swear, if one of our sisters got beat up..."

"I would be angry too, but look at you. The bags under your eyes, the tear stains on your cheeks, you've become a shadow of your formal self. You were strong and happy all the time. I don't want what happened to me to ruin you."

Lynn began to slowly rock back and forth with her hands to the middle of her thighs. Clyde thought she needed the restroom, but Lincoln knew she was fighting back tears.

"I don't want you to do this anymore. It kills me to know you got into a fight over this." Lincoln explained in a sincere tone. He always expressed his support whenever someone was feeling down, especially if he was the reason for the feelings of sadness. Lynn moved a little closer to him.

"I felt like a brute out there, but what else was I suppose to do? That freak confessed to being part of the reason we're sitting here right now. I had to let him know what he did was wrong, that he screwed with the wrong boy."

Lincoln held his sister's hand tightly. He thought to mention her recent departure from the hospital, but it was best to dismiss the idea. She appeared tired and weak, so he didn't want to add to her stress. His intentions were to do the opposite.

"They will stop one day, they always do. I just don't want this to impact our brother-sister relationship. You have sports and school and other things to worry about. Don't destroy yourself by becoming my bodyguard. You're my sister and I understand you wanting to fight for me, but if it means seeing you this emotionally beat up this often, the I'd rather fight my battles alone knowing you're okay."

Lynn wiped her eyes with a tissue, then wiped her brother's eyes. Lincoln's emotional pain kept him down as much as his physical pain did. Lynn arriving home late and sobbing all the time was the reason for a large chunk of his emotional stress. His sister in deep pain kept him in deep pain. It would make him smile to see her happy.

"I can only promise no more fighting." Lynn sniffed before taking the injured boy in for a well-needed hug.

"Everything will be alright." They told each other in unison. She looked at his shoes. They weren't on his feet like they were the day everyone first surrounded his hospital bed. She placed one of those shoes on his feet after finding it in the ditch. Said shoe was now placed next to it's partner on the floor as Lynn sighed. Beating a boy badly may have resulted in no questions answered, but she wasn't going to lose focus on finding their enemies. Though, she wanted to keep her word to Lincoln. She had to unwind and let herself go. It was time to find a less stressful way to seek justice for themselves.

After nearly a minute, Lynn ended the embrace as Lincoln produced a smile that she longed for. She did accomplish something after all: Making her brother happy during hard times.

"How you feeling about your final football game? I'm excited to see you play this year, if I can that is." Lincoln voiced with grin from ear to ear.

"I'm sure it will be broadcasted..." Lynn responded with a forced smile. Lincoln didn't need to know about her school issue, not yet. Her brother being exposed to the idea of there being a direct correlation between his assault and her decision making surrounding Bridget and football made Lynn more nervous. It could negatively impact her relationship with Lincoln and her entire family.

Though, secrets are like stars. They always come out.

* * *

Lynn vacated the hospital at ease during her last visit, but it was much more difficult this time around. Lincoln looked a little better since the day of the attack, but with everything that was going on, she wasn't sure when she'd see him again. She spoke with him for a while longer before wishing him his best and making her way to a new destination. Along with conversing about the trivial things that followed their emotional conversation, Lincoln mentioned the knowledge his doctor shared with him, including medicine and the intricate process of tests before releasing it to the public. The utter of the word medicine gave Lynn an idea.

If Lisa was up for the task, she could test the confiscated steroids for it's usage and even take blood in the process. The child prodigy was a woman of intellect. Surely smart enough to conduct such a test. Whoever framed Lynn could have their identity revealed at the end of the experiment, also telling them who else was involved in Lincoln's beating.

At that thought, Lynn quickly cut a corner and brought her bike to a stop. The sound of the tires skidding alerted no one as she parked at a ring bike rack outside her school. It was just minutes before recess when Lynn casually entered the building, not giving a damn if she was late. The first thing that greeted her was a nod from a security guard holding a cell phone. Quickly nodding back, she didn't catch his sudden stare in surprise.

However, she did meet the stares from the students that lingered the halls. They would glance in her direction, look away, then look again and keep their eyes sealed. It would take something as crazy as a school shooting in order for those jerks to forget about her. Lynn imagined how great it would be to slam one of their heads into a locker door, but even she knew it wasn't worth the trouble that would follow.

Without stopping to confront anyone, she speed-walked down the hall and knocked on Coach Pacowski's office door seconds before the bell.

Meanwhile, the coach had his feet propped on his desk. Holding a grin of interest towards whatever he was reading, his book hit the floor after a second series of knocks at his door.

"What now? Can't I receive a damn moment of peace?" He muttered after the herculean task of bending down to pick up the book. The chair creaked as he stood to answer the door.

"Lunch doesn't end until-"

Lynn shot a shy smile at her former coach when he made eye contact with her. He looked down in disappointment at the sight of the bruising on her hands.

"Oh, hello Lynn. Come on in." He stepped aside, extending his arm towards a bench facing his desk. Upon entering, a quick look inside brought back memories of the last two times she visited. Sitting down, she hoped this session would go differently.

"Sorry for answering the way I did. It's already been a long day and the clock hasn't even struck noon yet."

"That's cool coach, I wanted to talk about-"

"My daughter kept ringing my ear this morning about her issues and then I got to work late and...oh what the hell, I apologize. What brought you here on such a fine morning? I have all day." The burly man asked while folding his arms.

"It definitely appears that way." Lynn rolled her eyes. "I want to talk to you concerning the steroid incident."

"Oh boy, this again." Pacowski shook his head subconsciously while reopening his book.

"Excuse me." Lynn said, making the coach yawn for five seconds. The bored man's attitude much to her irritation, she cleared her throat.

"EXCUSE ME!"

"What?"

"Sorry that I'm boring you to death, but you couldn't even conduct an investigation over what happened to me. You just kicked me off the team and went on with your business like nothing took place and all I'm doing is asking for help and you act like you can't even be bothered!"

The coach starred at her, now looking more alert than a meerkat. The atmosphere of the room changed quick.

"Okay okay, what do you need help with?"

"Since no one thought of it before, can you give me a chance to investigate?"

Coach Pacowski scooted to the edge of his seat to lean forward on his desk.

"But I thought you were already doing that."

"I am, but I've only faced barriers along the way. Thing is, my brother is in the hospital because he was attacked by the same person who framed me for using the steroids."

Coach Pacowski kept his eyes on Lynn.

"Wow. I'm sorry to hear that."

"Which is why I need the confiscated drugs. It's the only way I can figure out who targeted me...who hurt my brother." She looked down with a frown.

"You sure Lincoln is in the hospital at the hands of the same person who framed you? What brought you to such a belief?"

"What does it matter? I know the crimes are connected." Lynn explained. Pacowski scratched his chin.

"Do you have evidence of that?"

 _Now this asshole wants to play detective?_ Lynn thought with a growing lack of patience. She remembered the locker note she received.

Including how she tore it up.

"No, but I'm not lying." She responded.

"I figured you weren't, but I no longer have the steroids. My bosses took it out of my possession yesterday. I'm sorry Lynn."

Considering how things were going, Lynn wasn't surprised to receive more bad news. She simply nodded and departed from the office.

"Close the door on the way out hun." He said. He looked down at the bag of confiscated drugs in his open desk drawer.

"Don't call me hun." Lynn stated and shut the door. Pacowski sighed in despondence. He didn't feel safe giving drugs to a person he just saw beat someone to near death in a video.

"I'm sure she'll figure out something." He muttered to himself.

After the bell rung and everyone was now in their respective classrooms, Lynn joined the seemingly empty halls with her head down in desperation. There was no clue what to do next. Releasing the anguish and frustration she had in one quick moment was the only silver lining to the beating she gave Kevin, but it was all coming back to her. Heading towards the exit, someone called out her name. She turned to see a girl running up to her.

"What do you want Bridget?"

"I've been trying to reach you for a while now. Our teachers are worried about you."

Lynn sucked her teeth.

"Screw the teachers. They also believe I cheated."

"But I don't." Bridget assured, expressing sympathy more fake than the tooth fairy. Lynn irritably stuffed her hands in her pockets.

"It's nice that someone cares, but there's no point in worrying anymore. Just let me be." Lynn stated. Bridget frowned.

"Where you going?"

"Don't worry about it." Lynn said while turning her back.

"You going to visit your brother?" Bridget asked. Lynn quickly whipped her head around to narrow her eyes at her.

"What do you mean visit my brother?"

"He's in the hospital. Poor thing. I heard what happened to him was terrible."

"Who told you my brother was in the hospital? He's at home." Lynn stated, tightening the grip on the strap of her backpack.

"Jeez Lynn, everyone knows about your little bro's hospital stay."

Lynn's eyes widened.

"That's a personal matter. Who's been gossiping? Who told you about him?"

"You see Lynn, I thought it was personal too, but Luna didn't think so. She made posts about it all over Facebook and Instagram."

Lynn felt her skin getting hot.

"All your sisters visited him in the hospital yesterday, except you. Don't you care about your brother?" Bridget asked.

"What?" Lynn got defensive. "Of course I care about my brother, and that is none of your business!"

"I believe you." Bridget brought her arm around Lynn and walked her away from the exit. "But you've had a lot on your mind lately. The ridicule, the jerks hanging out in the hallways, the steroid issue..."

"Mhm. Kids are assholes." Lynn nodded.

Little did Lynn know, she was talking to the biggest asshole of all.

"You gotta put your mind towards one thing, that's how you prevent a brain overload. No one should have to deal with bullying or violence, but think about innocent Lincoln casually walking home, not knowing the danger that lurks every corner in this city. My parents and I moved a long time ago to get away from similar negativity, don't you think Lincoln deserves the same?"

Lynn remained silent.

"Face it. Royal Woods isn't safe. Luna focused on getting attention, but you can focus on the right thing. I'm gonna miss you when you move, but it's the best thing for you and Lincoln."

Was she joking? Lynn stopped walking and backed away from Bridget.

"Bridget, I'm not moving."

"Why? What if another one of your siblings get attacked? Then how will you feel?" Bridget asked with a look of worry.

"Shut up. Moving may have worked for you, but that isn't the only solution. Lincoln has friends here, as do all my sisters."

"Listen to me. You can't let friendships and the football incident keep you from making the right decision. Coach Pacowski isn't bringing you back and whoever attacked Lincoln may strike again."

"Why do you care so much?" Lynn yelled. "And besides, when you ditched me the other day, I spoke to Pacowski and he assured me he would bring me back."

Bridget felt her jaw muscles tighten in displeasure.

"He did? Is there enough time for him to do that?"

"As long as I find out who framed me." Lynn stated.

Bridget was angry enough to break a bat over her leg at that statement. Seemingly nothing could keep Lynn away.

"Okay. Good." She muttered through shut teeth.

Lynn took a step in a different direction before turning back around to look at Bridget.

"I appreciate you telling me about the social media posts. I'll let Luna know how I feel about that."

"Try not to get into anymore fights." The tall girl quietly muttered.

"Huh?" Lynn raised a brow.

"Oh, nothing. See you later."

"Alright." Lynn departed by making her way to the nearest school exit. Watching a door close behind her, Bridget kicked a nearby locker in exasperation.

"Hey, that's my locker!" A boy said from a few feet away.

"And you're about to be locked inside it if you don't get away from me!" Bridget ordered, the hostility that radiated from her sending the boy screaming down the hall. She looked back at the school exit with a menacing glare.

"I guess beating Lincoln wasn't enough. I'll get you Lynn Loud, it's only a matter of time."

* * *

 **Author's Note** : Share your thoughts about this. I got more coming soon.


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